New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to respond to a petition that asks how children less than 18 years of age are allowed to open an account on social networking sites including Facebook, even though Indian laws do not permit it.
Facebook allows 13-year-olds to open accounts.
"How can children below 18 years have an agreement with any of the social network sites including Facebook? The Union of India is directed to file an affidavit on the issue within 10 days," the bench said.
The court has posted the next hearing for May 13. The petition has been filed by former BJP ideologue K N Govindacharya, who has contended that children below 18 getting into an agreement with social networking sites to open an account is against the Indian Majority Act, the Indian Contract Act and also the Information and Technology Act.
The petition has sought that verification be ensured "of all existing users and future new members of social networking websites with instructions not to do agreements with children below 18 years".
Mr Govindacharya has also sought the creation of a national register of persons indulging in sexual offences and heinous crimes and stopping such persons from joining social networking websites.