The Supreme Court signaled a possible change in India’s online content rules on Thursday. A panel of judges suggested using Aadhaar based age verification to access content marked as obscene on platforms like Netflix and YouTube.
This suggestion surfaced during a hearing related to the Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina controversy. The Bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said stronger online safeguards are needed. They stressed the importance of clear warnings and systems that stop minors from viewing adult content.
The Court also pointed to the need for an autonomous regulatory body for online platforms. Authorities said current self regulation was not enough. They also urged the government to create stronger laws for content that demeans persons with disabilities.
Concerns were raised about vague categories like anti national content and the difficulty of monitoring viral user created posts. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Court that the Centre was already working on new rules.
The Bench said any system must protect constitutional rights and individual dignity. While regulation is needed in extreme cases, Aadhaar based access is likely to trigger major privacy concerns among citizens.
