{"id":87044,"date":"2026-10-19T18:22:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=87044"},"modified":"2026-10-19T18:22:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:52:21","slug":"internet-access-fundamental-right-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-10-2026\/internet-access-fundamental-right-children","title":{"rendered":"Internet Access as a Fundamental Right for Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court, while hearing applications concerning the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) on social media, recognised the right of children to access the Internet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Observations of the Supreme Court<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Court observed that the right to access and use the Internet is a fundamental right under <strong>Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) <\/strong>of the Constitution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Children enjoy constitutional rights irrespective of their age,<\/strong> and their freedom of expression cannot be denied merely because they are minors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Proposed Safeguards:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The government was directed to create a <strong>database of digital identifiers and URLs<\/strong> associated with confirmed abusive material to facilitate its identification and removal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government was directed to frame guidelines and standard operating procedures for<strong> perceptual hash-matching, URL listing and other technological measures<\/strong> to detect and remove such material.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Court stressed that <strong>non-consensual, sexually exploitative and abusive material must have no place <\/strong>on the Internet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Constitutional Provisions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 21: <\/strong>Protects the right to life and personal liberty, which the Court linked to Internet access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 19(1)(a): <\/strong>Guarantees freedom of speech and expression, including the constitutional interest in accessing and communicating information through digital platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 19(2): <\/strong>Permits reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression on specified grounds, subject to constitutional requirements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Judgements of the Supreme Court<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In Anuradha Bhasin v Union of India (2020),<\/strong> the court held that freedom of speech and expression, and the freedom to carry on trade or business, through the internet are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In Pragya Prasun v Union of India (2025),<\/strong> the court held that excluding persons with disabilities from digital KYC violated Article 21 and that \u201cthe right to digital access is an intrinsic component of the right to life.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In Secretary, Ministry of Information &amp; Broadcasting v. Cricket Association of Bengal (1995) <\/strong>the cout held that Article 19(1)(a) includes \u201cthe right to know and to receive and impart information and ideas\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Benefits of Internet Use Among Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Access to information:<\/strong> Digital platforms provide children with educational resources and opportunities to explore subjects beyond the classroom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skill development:<\/strong> Internet use supports digital skills, upskilling, creative expression and collaborative learning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social interaction: <\/strong>Digital platforms facilitate communication, community-building and peer engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns Associated with Internet Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Social Isolation:<\/strong> Virtual connectivity replaces face-to-face communication, weakening real-world relationships and family bonds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD): <\/strong>Compulsive use leads to loss of control, withdrawal symptoms, and neglect of real-world duties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Physical well-being:<\/strong> Excessive or poorly regulated Internet use disrupt sleep, affect emotional regulation and interfere with children&#8217;s daily routines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Online exploitation: <\/strong>Interactions with strangers, cyberbullying, impersonation and inappropriate content can expose children to harassment and other forms of harm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender-based digital divide: <\/strong>Boys&#8217; greater access and freedom increases exposure to online risks, while restrictions on girls&#8217; Internet access limits their digital literacy and ability to protect themselves online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Australia\u2019s Social Media Minimum-Age Law<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024<\/strong> passed in 2025 <strong>completely prohibited <\/strong>children <strong>under the age of 16 <\/strong>from creating or holding accounts on designated social media platforms.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implementation:<\/strong> The Australian eSafety Commissioner oversees the framework, while age-assurance methods raise questions about effectiveness, privacy and the possibility of circumvention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Platforms should <strong>include age-appropriate defaults<\/strong>, restricted contact from unknown users and accessible reporting mechanisms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children affected by <strong>online abuse should receive confidential reporting channels, <\/strong>counselling and timely legal assistance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Schools should teach children<\/strong> how to assess online information, recognise manipulation, protect personal data and respond safely to cyberbullying and suspicious interactions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/supreme-court-internet-access-fundamental-right-children-10927583\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Supreme Court, while hearing applications concerning the circulation of child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) on social media, recognised the right of children to access the Internet. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Key Observations of the Supreme Court <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Court observed that the right to access and use the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Children enjoy constitutional rights irrespective of their age, and their freedom of expression cannot be denied merely because they are minors. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-10-2026\/internet-access-fundamental-right-children \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87044"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87047,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87044\/revisions\/87047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}