The Delhi High Court on September 16, sought the Central Government’s response on whether it is considering a policy to address social media design features alleged to encourage excessive and repeated user engagement.
A Division Bench of Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Amit Sharma was hearing the public interest litigation filed by Dr. Vikas Kathuria, a law professor at BML Munjal University.
The PIL focuses not on social media content but on the design of platforms. It refers to features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, personalised feeds, notifications, short-form videos and “likes”, which the petitioner says are designed to keep users engaged.
The petition seeks an expert committee to examine these features and recommend safeguards, particularly for children and young people. It also seeks regulation of such features and compensation in relation to alleged harm.
The plea names several major technology companies, including Meta, Google, Telegram, X and Snapchat, as respondents.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the issue involved government policy and referred to existing legal and regulatory frameworks concerning social media and data protection.
The Bench then asked whether the government was actually considering framing a policy on the concerns raised in the petition.
“How can we say, ‘you frame policies in a time-bound manner’? If you are saying, then it is fine. Are you contemplating framing of a policy?”
The ASG said he would need instructions from the government on the issue.
The Court consequently deferred the matter for three weeks and directed the Centre’s counsel to obtain instructions on whether the government was contemplating a policy concerning the issues raised in the PIL.
“We will defer it by three weeks. You take instructions and tell us whether you are contemplating or not. We will not say anything in the matter. Renotify.”
The matter was accordingly adjourned for further consideration.
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