New Delhi/IBNS, Oct. 17 -- The Supreme Court of India has held that access to and use of the internet is a fundamental right for every individual, including children, rejecting the idea of a blanket prohibition based solely on age while calling for stronger safeguards against online sexual exploitation.

A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran made the observations on October 15 while hearing applications filed by child rights NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance and another applicant.

The pleas raised concerns that social media platforms were failing to meet their legal obligations to report child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) to Indian authorities.

The court emphasised that protecting children from...