16 September,2026 06:13 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Representational image. File pic
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Central government whether it is contemplating framing a policy to examine the "addiction-causing" design architecture employed by social media platforms.
As per IANS, a bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma to seek instructions from the Centre on the issue and deferred the hearing by three weeks.
The Delhi High Court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Vikas Kathuria, a Professor of Law and Head of the Centre on Law, Regulation and Technology at BML Munjal University.
The applicant at the Delhi High Court raised concerns over the design architecture of social media platforms, including infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmically curated and personalised feeds, notification systems and variable-reward engagement features such as "likes".
During the hearing, ASG Sharma urged the Delhi High Court not to delve into the issue, submitting that the relief sought in the petition fell within the domain of government policy.
The Centre's law officer suggested that the petition could instead be treated as a representation before the Union government and considered within a time-bound schedule.
He submitted, "The petition can be treated as a representation. There can be a time-bound schedule for the government (to examine such a representation), as cited by IANS.
However, the Justice Sambre-led Bench questioned whether the High Court could direct the government to frame a policy within a time-bound period and asked the Centre to clarify whether it was itself contemplating such a policy.
The court asked, "How can we say, 'You frame policies in a time-bound manner'? If you are saying so, then it is fine. Are you contemplating framing a policy?" as cited by IANS.
Replying to the court, ASG Sharma said that he would have to obtain instructions on whether the Central government was actively contemplating such a policy.
Replying to ASG Sharma's response, the Delhi High Court noted, "We will defer it by three weeks. You (ASG Sharma) take instructions and tell us whether you are contemplating or not. We will not say anything in the matter. Renotify," as per IANS.
The PIL contends that the issue is not merely the nature of content carried by social media platforms but the manner in which their underlying architecture is allegedly designed to capture, retain and repeatedly re-stimulate users' attention.
The petitioner, who has a six-year-old child, has approached the High Court, raising a matter of "grave public importance" concerning users, particularly children and young people, growing up in a digital environment.
The plea states that the concern extends beyond children, as engagement-maximising design can affect both adult and minor users, while children constitute a particularly vulnerable category.
Petitioner also sought examination of the issue by an appropriate expert body, including an assessment of the impact of engagement-maximising design features and the need for an appropriate regulatory framework.
(With inputs from IANS)
