A 10th Grader, Amreen Bhatti, Founder of Youth Digital Wellness, Submits Petition to Lok Sabha Committee Calling for Strong Digital Safety Laws for Children Under 16

📌 Petition Summary: 
Children are quietly slipping into a new epidemic — overwhelming screen time, rising digital dependency, weakening mental health, reduced attention spans, and constant exposure to harmful online content.

Children Need Protection from the Hidden Epidemic of Digital Addiction

We live in a time where children are spending more hours on screens than in classrooms, more time scrolling than speaking to their families, and more attention on algorithms than academics.

This is not just a lifestyle change — it is a national crisis affecting worlds’s youngest generation.

PETITION OF THE UNDERSIGNED

I, the petitioner, respectfully submit:

I am a 10th-grade student, social activist and a citizen of India, deeply concerned about the rapidly increasing digital addiction, harmful online content, and unregulated algorithmic exposure faced by children under the age of 16 across the country.

That India, has over 360 million children under the age of 16 (Census & UNICEF estimates), the largest such population in the world, making child digital protection a matter of urgent national priority.

That multiple nations have recently taken strong legislative action to safeguard minors from digital harm:

• Australia has implemented strict restrictions on social media access for children and mandated robust age verification.
  
  
• Denmark has introduced strong online child-safety frameworks.
  
  
• The European Union has enforced the Digital Services Act (DSA), imposing strict accountability on platforms for harmful content delivered to minors.
  
  
• Malaysia is preparing similar legislation.
  
  That India, currently has no dedicated law that limits harmful digital exposure for children under 16, nor any framework mandating algorithm transparency, age verification, content auditing, or restrictions on manipulative content targeted at minors.

That a similar Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was previously dismissed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, stating that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Government of India and the Parliament, not the judiciary.

Therefore, the responsibility for legislative action lies entirely with the Parliament of India.

That unregulated exposure to violent, explicit, addictive, and manipulative online content is causing severe psychological, emotional, and developmental harm to Indian children, including but not limited to:

• reduced attention span
• sleep disorders
• depression and anxiety
• exposure to predators and cyberbullying
• early and inappropriate sexual content
• addiction engineered by corporate algorithms

That large technology corporations currently operate without adequate oversight, and their algorithmic systems are shaping the thoughts, behaviour, and mental health of minors in ways that parents, teachers, and even the government cannot monitor or control.

That , I have initiated a public awareness movement on Youth Digital Wellness, gathering support from parents, educators, and concerned citizens across India who desire strong legislative measures to protect children.

PRAYER / REQUEST

In view of the above, the petitioner respectfully prays that:

The Government of India may be directed to consider the introduction of a comprehensive Digital Safety and Child Protection Bill, specifically for children below 16 years of age.

Such a law may include, but not be limited to:

• Mandatory age verification for accessing social media and adult content
• Time-based restrictions on social media use for minors
  Strict content filtering, monitoring, and removal of harmful or explicit material
• Algorithm transparency and audits for content targeting minors
• Strong penalties for content creators posting harmful content for children
• Creation of a National Child Digital Wellness Authority
• Introduction of Digital Wellness Education in school curriculum

The issue may kindly be placed before the House for discussion or referred to a Departmentally Related Parliamentary Standing Committee for examination.

I, THEREFORE, PRAY

That this petition may be accepted under Rule 160 and considered by the Hon’ble House or referred to the Committee for appropriate action.

Name of Petitioner: Amreen Kaur Bhatti

This Petition has been submitted to 
 The Secretary, Committee on Petitions,  under Rule 160 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. The petition seeks urgent legislative action to protect children under 16 from harmful digital content, addictive algorithms, and excessive screen exposure.

Copied to :

• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY)
• NCPCR – National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
• State Education Departments
• Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT
• We urge these bodies to consider the voices of India’s youth and parents who are calling for immediate action on digital safety.