Online games: Madras HC raises concerns, initiates suo motu PIL

Stating that addiction to violent online games by school-going children and college students and women has become a major public health issue and a great concern for parents, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has initiated a suo motu public interest writ petition to curb the menace of such games.

The Madras High Court has made the Union government, Tamil Nadu government, YouTube and Google parties to the proceedings.

The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition regarding a missing girl who was found to be addicted to playing an online mobile game named ‘Free Fire’.

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A division Bench of Justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad said, “In 2020, the Central Government due to security reasons, banned certain online games and Chinese app and delisted them from the play store and apple store.”

“After the ban, these gaming companies revised their privacy policies and security policies and again entered into the official gaming stores in the year 2021. These online games became popular among the youngsters especially, the school going children and college students. Since Free Fire Game consists of more violent activities, there is a drastic change in the behaviour of the children or the person who is playing the said game,” they added.

The advocates who were present in the court produced some materials with regard to Free Fire game and other online games and submitted that nowadays, online games such as PUBG, Garena Free Fire, Call of duty, etc., are famous among children and youngsters and most of the games are Chinese games.

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The judges observed, “Addiction to online games by school-going children and college students and women has become a major public health issue and a great concern for the parents. The children who are at the verge of schooling and college students, are almost become addicted to such online role-playing games like Free Fire, Subway Surfers etc., and it has taken a heavy toll on their physical, emotional, psychological, social and academic life. By such addiction, the younger generation become a prey to ophthalmic issues, musculo skeletal issues, neck ailments, obesity, anxiety and depression.”

“Thus, there is an emergent need to curb the menace of these types of online games. We should sensitize the youth and more particularly, the students. The police and the social activists got a definite role to play in this matter. Parents have a primary responsibility to watch as to what their children are doing with their smartphones and computers. Those who are playing online games, must be given counselling and they should be made to uninstall the games,” the judges said.

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Further, they said, “In our view, the State, as well as the Central Governments, must come forward with a clear-cut report as to how these types of online games which damage the life of younger generation, are permitted despite the ban imposed by the Government of India. We are, therefore, of the view that constitutional Court has got the responsibility to take up the issue in larger public interest. We, therefore, direct the Registrar (Judicial) to register a Public Interest Writ Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.”

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