<p>In recent days, Kerala was shaken by a disturbing case from Kasargod, where a minor boy was physically abused by a group of adults who had first connected through a dating app. Beyond the immediate horror of the crime, the incident forces us to ask a deeper, systemic question: what business does a minor have on a dating app in the first place, and why are so many of our children exposed to digital spaces designed for adults?</p>.<p>Minors across India are increasingly uploading explicit or suggestive content on social media. The algorithms reward attention, not responsibility. Each like and each share reinforces risky behaviour. Parents, educators, and lawmakers are struggling to keep pace, and in the vacuum, children are left unprotected.</p>.<p>From a legal standpoint, India has a patchwork of protections. The Information Technology Act, 2000, prohibits the hosting or publishing of obscene content, while the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, criminalises sexual abuse and exploitation of minors. The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, also provides protective mechanisms. Yet none of these laws adequately address the reality of children’s unsupervised digital presence. Dating apps, streaming platforms, and social media sites all require users to be above 18, but enforcement of these restrictions remains lax. Fake ages, unchecked uploads, and anonymity combine to create an abyss where minors can easily slip through the cracks.</p>.<p>The socio-psychological dimensions are equally troubling. In Indian families, discussions about sexuality, relationships, and digital behaviour remain taboo. Many parents are unaware of what their children do online, or they assume moral policing alone will suffice. But moral policing without dialogue breeds secrecy, not safety. Adolescents, driven by curiosity and peer pressure, turn to the internet as their teacher and confidant. The result is a generation learning about intimacy not from guidance or care, but from distorted images, half-truths, and predatory strangers.</p>.<p>Psychology teaches us that adolescence is a fragile stage of identity formation. The human brain is still developing impulse control, and exposure to adult spaces online accelerates vulnerabilities. When minors post suggestive content, it is often less about desire and more about attention, affirmation, and belonging. Yet, the digital world responds not with empathy but with exploitation. This is where law must step in firmly.</p>.<p>India urgently needs a dedicated regulatory framework for monitoring minors’ online activity. Technology must be leveraged not only for surveillance but also for protection. Social media platforms must be legally obligated to develop AI-driven monitoring systems that flag and restrict the uploading of adult content by accounts suspected to belong to minors. There should also be statutory requirements for stricter age verification protocols on all dating and adult-oriented apps, linked to secure identity systems, while safeguarding privacy. Failure to comply should invite heavy penalties.</p>.<p>At the same time, we cannot legislate away the role of families. Digital literacy must become as integral to parenting as teaching children to cross the road safely. Schools should introduce curricula on responsible digital behaviour, online boundaries, and consent. Parents should be trained to talk to their children not as moral enforcers but as guides who understand the terrain of technology. </p>.<p>Some critics may argue that increased monitoring risks violating children’s privacy. But what privacy does a 14-year-old truly have in an adult chatroom filled with strangers? Here, the right to protection must outweigh a premature claim to privacy. The Supreme Court of India in Justice K S Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) recognised privacy as a fundamental right, but it also noted that the right is subject to reasonable restrictions, especially where State interest and protection of vulnerable groups are concerned. Children are undoubtedly such a group.</p>.<p>Ultimately, this issue is not about law alone. It is about the kind of society we are becoming. The Kasargod incident should serve as a wake-up call. Lawmakers, judges, educators, and parents must work together to build a system that does not merely punish after harm has occurred but prevents the harm altogether. </p>.<p><em>(The writer is an advocate at the High Court of Kerala)</em></p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</p>
<p>In recent days, Kerala was shaken by a disturbing case from Kasargod, where a minor boy was physically abused by a group of adults who had first connected through a dating app. Beyond the immediate horror of the crime, the incident forces us to ask a deeper, systemic question: what business does a minor have on a dating app in the first place, and why are so many of our children exposed to digital spaces designed for adults?</p>.<p>Minors across India are increasingly uploading explicit or suggestive content on social media. The algorithms reward attention, not responsibility. Each like and each share reinforces risky behaviour. Parents, educators, and lawmakers are struggling to keep pace, and in the vacuum, children are left unprotected.</p>.<p>From a legal standpoint, India has a patchwork of protections. The Information Technology Act, 2000, prohibits the hosting or publishing of obscene content, while the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, criminalises sexual abuse and exploitation of minors. The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, also provides protective mechanisms. Yet none of these laws adequately address the reality of children’s unsupervised digital presence. Dating apps, streaming platforms, and social media sites all require users to be above 18, but enforcement of these restrictions remains lax. Fake ages, unchecked uploads, and anonymity combine to create an abyss where minors can easily slip through the cracks.</p>.<p>The socio-psychological dimensions are equally troubling. In Indian families, discussions about sexuality, relationships, and digital behaviour remain taboo. Many parents are unaware of what their children do online, or they assume moral policing alone will suffice. But moral policing without dialogue breeds secrecy, not safety. Adolescents, driven by curiosity and peer pressure, turn to the internet as their teacher and confidant. The result is a generation learning about intimacy not from guidance or care, but from distorted images, half-truths, and predatory strangers.</p>.<p>Psychology teaches us that adolescence is a fragile stage of identity formation. The human brain is still developing impulse control, and exposure to adult spaces online accelerates vulnerabilities. When minors post suggestive content, it is often less about desire and more about attention, affirmation, and belonging. Yet, the digital world responds not with empathy but with exploitation. This is where law must step in firmly.</p>.<p>India urgently needs a dedicated regulatory framework for monitoring minors’ online activity. Technology must be leveraged not only for surveillance but also for protection. Social media platforms must be legally obligated to develop AI-driven monitoring systems that flag and restrict the uploading of adult content by accounts suspected to belong to minors. There should also be statutory requirements for stricter age verification protocols on all dating and adult-oriented apps, linked to secure identity systems, while safeguarding privacy. Failure to comply should invite heavy penalties.</p>.<p>At the same time, we cannot legislate away the role of families. Digital literacy must become as integral to parenting as teaching children to cross the road safely. Schools should introduce curricula on responsible digital behaviour, online boundaries, and consent. Parents should be trained to talk to their children not as moral enforcers but as guides who understand the terrain of technology. </p>.<p>Some critics may argue that increased monitoring risks violating children’s privacy. But what privacy does a 14-year-old truly have in an adult chatroom filled with strangers? Here, the right to protection must outweigh a premature claim to privacy. The Supreme Court of India in Justice K S Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) recognised privacy as a fundamental right, but it also noted that the right is subject to reasonable restrictions, especially where State interest and protection of vulnerable groups are concerned. Children are undoubtedly such a group.</p>.<p>Ultimately, this issue is not about law alone. It is about the kind of society we are becoming. The Kasargod incident should serve as a wake-up call. Lawmakers, judges, educators, and parents must work together to build a system that does not merely punish after harm has occurred but prevents the harm altogether. </p>.<p><em>(The writer is an advocate at the High Court of Kerala)</em></p><p>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</p>
