Parents need to monitor wards’ online activities, observes HC

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday said parents have greater responsibility than the government in raising their children in a healthy manner.

A public interest litigation petition filed by S Ayyaa of Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli seeking the prohibition of usage of gambling apps by minor participants, came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad.

This is still the need of the hour to prohibit minor participants from digital gambling games like online lottery, ludo and other betting games. The app must ensure the age of the user with age proof like Aadhaar card. The growth of gambling websites and apps has increased in recent years, the petitioner stated. The amount being gambled should be reported to the authorities and should not exceed the upper limitations of the law regulated, the petitioner said.

The bench, after hearing the arguments, wondered how persons below the age of 18 were able to access online lottery games and gambling and how they were aware of such gambling games. Under such circumstances, parents have a greater role and responsibility than the government in raising and guiding their children to avoid such games. Moreover, the parents fail to monitor their children’s behavior to determine whether cell phones were used for the set purpose. All these factors ultimately tend to result in needless anxiety, the bench opined. The bench then issued notice to the Centre and adjourned the hearing by two weeks.