The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is creating a social media code of conduct aimed at enhancing online safety for children. The code will apply to platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat. This initiative follows a consultation held on August 20 at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in New Delhi, involving government bodies and social media companies, according to medianama.com.
The consultation, chaired by MeitY Secretary S Krishnan, brought together representatives from NCPCR, MeitY, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), alongside civil society organisations like Space2Grow, Centre for Social Research, and the Internet Freedom Foundation. The two-hour closed-door meeting focused on age restrictions, platform regulation, and the adequacy of existing laws protecting children online. Participants debated whether new legislation, IT Act provisions, or guidelines were necessary to strengthen safeguards.
This move comes amid growing international discussions on children's access to social media and the need for stricter age-gating and content moderation. The code of conduct aims to address gaps in current regulations and ensure safer digital environments for minors. The involvement of multiple stakeholders, including legal and policy experts, reflects a comprehensive approach to tackling online risks faced by children on major social media platforms.
The next steps include finalising the code of conduct with inputs from all stakeholders. The initiative builds on the August 20 consultation at MeitY’s office, marking a coordinated effort by government and civil society to enhance child safety online in India.