The Supreme Court has ruled that access to the internet is a fundamental right for every individual, including children, and declined to impose a blanket age-based ban on internet usage. A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Chandran observed that children enjoy the same constitutional rights as adults under Articles 21 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The court emphasized that protecting children online should not come at the cost of completely denying them access to the internet, stating that safety and freedom must coexist.

The observations were made while hearing petitions concerning the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) on digital platforms. Expressing concern over the continued availability and spread of such content, the court criticized authorities and social media intermediaries for failing to take adequate action. Instead of supporting an age-related ban, the bench directed social media platforms to strengthen parental controls, introduce child-friendly safety modes, and ensure the swift removal of abusive and exploitative material from their services.

To improve online child safety, the Supreme Court directed the Central Government to establish a national database of digital identifiers and URLs linked to confirmed child sexual abuse material. It also ordered the Centre to frame guidelines and standard operating procedures for technologies such as perceptual hash-matching and URL-based detection systems to help identify and remove illegal content more effectively. Stressing that there is no place for non-consensual sexually exploitative material on the internet, the court called for coordinated efforts by the government, law enforcement agencies and technology companies to create a safer digital environment for children.