HC summons officials on plea to regulate Internet usage

They failed to respond to court’s notice

March 25, 2019 10:26 pm | Updated 10:26 pm IST

MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday summoned the Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, and the secretary, Internet Service Providers Association of India, for failing to respond to court’s notice on a plea to regulate Internet usage for children.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar summoned the officials to respond to a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to Internet service providers to create necessary awareness of parental control system to regulate Internet usage for children.

The court said that it took note of the fact that cyber crimes were on the rise and women and children were facing serious repercussions. Though the role of the Department of Telecommunications and Internet Service Providers Association was important in this connection, they had failed to respond to the queries raised in the petition, the court said.

The public interest litigation petition was filed by S. Vijayakumar of Madurai.

The petitioner said that the National and the State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights had powers to prosecute Internet Service Providers if they failed to regulate the content. However, the commissions were not invoking the powers vested under Section 13 of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. The case was adjourned till April 8.

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