Children and teenagers across India are being increasingly exposed to grave online dangers — from grooming and extortion to manipulated videos and deepfake abuse. For example: recently a teen girl from a Tier-2 city (not her real name) was lured on social media by someone posing as a peer, convinced to share private photos, then blackmailed and threatened with non-consensual distribution — causing severe trauma and forcing her family to change schools. This is not an isolated incident. Many minors are unknowingly entering a digital world without the maturity, awareness, or protection needed to guard against predators and cyber-criminals.

Millions of children are at stake. In India alone, the number of crimes against children — including cyber offences, trafficking, and abuse — was 1,77,335 in 2023, up 9.2% from 2022. 

Even more alarming: the surge in internet connectivity has not come with adequate safeguards. A 2021 survey by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) found that 43% of school-aged children surveyed already had social media accounts. 

 

If the Government does not act now, we risk normalizing an online environment where children are preyed upon, manipulated, or abused — often anonymously and irreversibly. According to the most recent data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), cybercrimes against children rose sharply: from 1,376 cases in 2021 to 1,823 in 2022. 

Additionally, the overall number of cybercrime incidents reported nationally has surged: from roughly 4.5 lakh in 2021 to over 22.5 lakh in 2024. 

Meanwhile, globally, AI-driven risks are exploding. New research shows that AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is rising dramatically, transforming what was already a grave problem into a nearly unmanageable crisis. 

Without age restrictions, identity verification, and robust screening, we risk exposing children to deepfake abuse, cyber grooming, sextortion, permanent defamation or psychological trauma — all of which may scar them for life.

 

We stand at a critical juncture — India is digital more than ever. Over 86% of households now have internet access, and cyber-security incidents doubled from 10.29 lakh in 2022 to 22.68 lakh in 2024, according to government data. 

As technology advances, new tools (AI deepfakes, encrypted platforms, anonymous networks) make digital abuse easier to hide and harder to trace. A recent report highlights how AI is now being weaponized to harass women and children, producing hyper-realistic manipulated videos that are widely shared online. 

Given this explosion in digital risks, the government must act now to safeguard children’s online safety — before it’s too late. We call upon the Government of India to:

Ban social media accounts for children under 16 — unless there is verified age proof and parental consent.

Mandate age verification (e.g. via Aadhaar or other secure identity system) for all social media registrations.

Require all major platforms to implement strong AI-deepfake detection, content moderation, and immediate takedown procedures — especially where minors may be involved.

Impose strict legal penalties (imprisonment + fines) on those who create, distribute or attempt to blackmail/shame minors via digital means.

Launch a nationwide digital-safety education campaign in schools, to teach children about online risks and self-protection measures.

 

Our Appeal

We, the undersigned citizens of India, demand that the Government treat online safety for children as a matter of national urgency. Deepfake abuse, cyber-exploitation, and internet-driven child abuse must not be allowed to flourish unchecked. By signing this petition, you urge immediate action to protect the innocence, dignity, and future of our children.