The Delhi High Court on September 16, 2026, asked the Central government whether it is contemplating a policy to address social-media design features that are alleged to encourage prolonged and compulsive use.
A division bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by law professor Dr. Vikas Kathuria. The petition seeks the constitution of an expert committee to examine “engagement-maximising” and “addiction-causing” design architecture used by social media platforms.
The features flagged in the plea include infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithmically curated and personalised feeds, persistent notifications, short-form videos such as reels, and variable-reward engagement metrics such as “likes.” The petitioner has argued that the core issue is not the content hosted on these platforms, but how the platforms are architecturally designed to capture, retain and repeatedly re-stimulate users’ attention
When the bench asked whether the government was considering any policy on the subject, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma submitted that he did not have specific instructions. The court directed him to obtain instructions and listed the matter after three weeks
The Centre and certain social media platforms objected to the maintainability of the petition, citing earlier orders of the Supreme Court and high courts that declined to entertain similar pleas. The ASG also submitted that the relief sought falls within the policy domain of the government.
The petition highlights the potential impact of these design features on young users, linking prolonged social-media use to issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and compulsive behaviour. It seeks directions to the Centre and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to restrict, prohibit or regulate such features, along with the formation of an expert panel to recommend evidence-based safeguards. Some reports note that the plea also seeks compensation from major platforms.
The court’s query keeps the focus on whether the government is actively considering a regulatory framework for platform design, rather than content moderation. The next hearing is expected after the Centre responds.