The High Court of Karnataka has suggested that an age limit should be imposed for using social media, just as there is for drinking alcohol. The court made this observation during a hearing of an appeal X Corp (formerly Twitter) challenging the takedown orders issued the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY). MeiTY had issued several orders directing Twitter to block accounts, tweets, URLs, and a hashtag under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Twitter challenged the orders related to 39 URLs.
The court expressed concerns about the impact of social media on school-going children, noting its addictive nature. Justice G Narendar suggested that an age limit, similar to that in excise rules, should be implemented as children may lack the maturity to judge what is in the interest of the nation. The court also raised concerns about the impact of the internet and suggested that things that corrupt the mind should be removed.
During the hearing, X Corp argued that the users were not informed about the blocking of their accounts and tweets, and the company was forbidden from informing them. The court questioned the government about how X Corp could defend itself when the orders were not disclosed. The court suggested that the government may need to modify the rules to ensure fairness and noted that national security is of utmost importance.
The hearing of the case was adjourned to Wednesday to decide on the interim relief sought X Corp, with the appeal to be heard at a later date.
Source: PTI
