Abstract

The proliferation of online gaming platforms in India has precipitated a consequential and largely underexamined dimension of cybercrime, namely, the systematic targeting of children through digital gaming ecosystems. This article examines the multifaceted issues and challenges that arise from cybercrime directed at minors within online gaming environments, drawing upon a detailed legal and empirical analysis of the phenomenon in the Indian context. Specifically, the article explores six principal categories of harm — online grooming and exploitation, cyberbullying and harassment, financial fraud and identity theft, privacy and data protection violations, exposure to harmful content, and gaming addiction — before proceeding to analyse the role, limitations, and reform imperatives of the Indian judiciary in addressing these concerns. The article further engages with landmark judicial pronouncements, including Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India, Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, and Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish, to evaluate the evolving contours of cyber jurisprudence in India. Drawing upon a comparative analysis of regulatory models adopted by the United Kingdom and the United States, the article argues that the Indian legal framework, though foundational, remains insufficiently tailored to the dynamic risks presented by gaming technology. The article concludes with a set of normative recommendations directed at legislative reform, judicial specialisation, platform accountability, and child-centric digital governance.

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