Supreme Court asks India's Centre to respond on children's social media terms agreement
India's Supreme Court has asked the Centre to respond to a petition arguing that a child cannot lawfully agree to a social media platform's terms of service.
India's Supreme Court has asked the Centre to respond to a petition questioning whether children under 18 can legally agree to the terms of service of social media platforms. A Supreme Court bench issued notice to the Union of India on September 10, 2026.
The petition seeks a declaration that contracts between minors and digital platforms are void from the outset. It proposes requiring parental or legal guardian consent before a minor accesses social media, along with e-KYC verification of the guardian.
Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), verifiable parental consent is required to process a child's data, and tracking and targeted advertising directed at children are prohibited. The provisions concerning children are set to take effect on May 14, 2027. Until then, platforms may continue to rely on a user's self-declared date of birth.