Indian Supreme Court seeks response from Meta on child safety allegations
The Supreme Court of India has demanded responses from the government and Meta regarding concerns over addictive algorithms and child safety features on social media.
On November 4, 2026, the Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the central government and Meta concerning a public interest litigation regarding the safety of minors on digital platforms. The court is examining claims that algorithmic design features, such as infinite scrolling and auto-play videos, contribute to compulsive use and predatory harm directed at children.
The petition asserts that Meta has failed to implement robust safety measures in India that are already available in Western markets. Key areas of concern include deficient age-verification systems, which petitioners claim allow children under 13 to access platforms, and the potential for these interfaces to facilitate online grooming and illegal content distribution. Legal counsel for the petitioners argued that current practices violate both the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the IT Act.
This case marks the third time in two months that the Supreme Court has addressed the nexus between social media design and child protection. While lower courts, including the Delhi High Court, have previously suggested that sweeping digital policy formulation is the domain of the executive branch, the Supreme Court is now pushing for concrete evidence of government intervention.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 7. No findings have been made regarding the allegations, but the move underscores a intensifying regulatory scrutiny of how global technology firms manage minor-facing features in the Indian market.