ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has been approached with a petition seeking directions to the federal government to introduce legislation and a comprehensive regulatory framework governing social media use by children under the age of 16.
The petition, filed through advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid Khawaja, calls for an effective age-verification mechanism for social media accounts operated by minors.
The petitioners have argued that children are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, online harassment, inappropriate content and other digital risks, making stronger legal safeguards necessary.
The petition asks the government to formulate a policy covering children’s digital rights, privacy, and mental and physical safety.
It also seeks clear responsibilities for social media platforms to protect minors and calls for the establishment of a dedicated institutional mechanism to monitor and regulate online safety measures for children.
In this regard, the absence of an effective age-verification system makes it difficult to enforce protections intended for underage users.
The petitioners have referred to measures adopted or proposed in countries including Australia, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Spain.
In this sense, such measures include age restrictions, parental consent requirements and mechanisms designed to verify the age of social media users.
The petition also invokes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, arguing that protecting the best interests of children is a legal responsibility of the state.
Several Government Bodies Named as Respondents
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) have been made respondents in the petition.
The petitioners have asked the court to direct the federal government to take legislative measures regulating social media access for children under 16 and establish an institutional framework for their digital protection.
The development comes amid growing calls for stronger child protection measures on social media.
The resolution, moved by Punjab lawmaker Sarah Ahmad, urged the federal government to introduce comprehensive legislation addressing children’s access to social media and strengthening online safety.
Meanwhile, France becomes the first nation to ban social media under 15.
It mentioned concerns including cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, psychological distress and digital addiction.
The resolution also called for reliable age-verification mechanisms and urged the PTA to ensure that social media platforms operating in Pakistan comply with proposed child-protection standards.
