Don't Let Kids Below 13 Open An Account, Delhi HC Tells Facebook | TechTree.com

Don't Let Kids Below 13 Open An Account, Delhi HC Tells Facebook

Will this trigger off new laws for safeguarding minors' interests when using internet in the country?

 

The Delhi High Court has directed social networking giant Facebook, to put up disclaimer on the homepage to dissuade kids below 13 years of age to open an account. Apart from banning kids under 13, the court also asked the Central Government to clarify its legal stand in safeguarding children's interest online. The order came in response to a PIL filed by Ex-BJP leader KN Govindacharya, after a Gurgaon Rave party with over 100 minors was busted, which had been organised via a Facebook event. The court slammed the centre for not having any laws for protecting minors, when online. The court added, "You don't have a law for protection of minor on social networking sites? You are behind the time...the world has gone much ahead".

The PIL also contested that neither Facebook nor Google have any provisions to report/lodge email complaints that keeps it informed about minors misusing social networking sites. Meanwhile, in its reply, Facebook said that it "specifically prohibits children under 13 years of age from registering a Facebook account and using Facebook services", under its Agreement license.

For now, putting up a disclaimer will not really help; kids these days are a lot smarter to figure out workarounds. As Google claims it has "already put in place a plethora of steps on the issue of safe usage of internet", how much of it is effective, that only regular monitoring of the system can show. While that process comes into existence slowly, it is parents that need to check what their kids are doing online, and where the buck actually needs to stop.


TAGS: Internet, Facebook, Government

 
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