Business Standard ·
Delhi HC seeks Centre's response on plea against addictive social media
PIL seeks an expert panel to examine engagement-driven platform features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay and personalised feeds, and recommend safeguards for young users
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Centre’s response on whether it was considering a policy to regulate social media platforms’ design features that allegedly encourage prolonged and compulsive use.
A division bench comprising Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre, to obtain instructions from the government on the issue and adjourned the hearing for three weeks.
The proceedings arose from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by law professor Vikas Kathuria, who has sought the setting up of an expert committee to examine design features used by social media platforms to maximise user engagement.
The bench’s query followed the Centre’s submission that the relief sought by Kathuria essentially concerned government policy.
ASG Sharma told the court that he did not have specific instructions on whether the government was contemplating a policy to regulate such platform architecture.