Delhi High Court asks Centre about policy to regulate addiction-linked social media design

New Delhi, September 16, 2026: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether it was considering a policy to regulate addiction-causing design features on social media platforms, including infinite scroll and autoplay.A bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the constitution of an expert committee to examine engagement-maximising and addiction-causing features used by social media platforms. The court said it would hear the matter again after three weeks.Court Seeks Centre’s StandWhen the court asked whether the Centre was contemplating a policy on the issue, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said he did not have specific instructions.The bench then orally asked him to obtain instructions from the government. “You take instructions whether you are contemplating framing of a policy and we will have the matter after three weeks,” it said, PTI reports.PIL Raises Questions Over Platform DesignSharma said the PIL raised some issues but added that they fell within the domain of policymakers. He suggested that the petitioner could submit a representation to the government.Counsel for the Centre and certain social media platforms also objected to the maintainability of the petition, citing orders of the Supreme Court and high courts that had refused to entertain petitions concerning a similar issue.‘Issue Is Design, Not Content’Petitioner Vikas Kathuria, a professor of law, argued that the central issue was not the content carried by social media platforms but the way the platforms were designed to encourage repeated engagement.According to Kathuria, features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmically curated and personalised feeds, notification systems and variable-reward engagement metrics such as “likes” are designed to capture, retain and repeatedly re-stimulate users’ attention.Concern Over Impact On Young UsersThe petition said the issue assumed particular significance in India because statistics showed that youths aged 18 to 24 spend more than 120 minutes on average every day on social media.It also claimed that long hours on social media had been clinically linked to suicide and depression among adolescents. The petition was filed by advocates Kartika Sharma, Harsha Sadhwani and Subhika Joshi.Plea Seeks Regulation And Expert PanelThe petition sought directions to the Central Government and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to restrict, prohibit or regulate infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmically curated feeds and persistent notifications.Also Watch: Delhi HC Questions Jantar Mantar Protest Site, Directs Police To Decide Plea By August 8It also sought the constitution of an expert committee to examine engagement-maximising design features on social media platforms and recommend safeguards. The case brings into focus a wider question before the court and policymakers: whether concerns about excessive social media use should be addressed not merely through scrutiny of online content but also through regulation of the design features that keep users engaged.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

A bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma said it would hear, after three weeks, a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking constitution of an expert committee to examine engagement-maximising and addiction-causing design features on social media platforms