The Islamabad High Court has been approached with a petition seeking legislation to regulate social media use by children under the age of 16 and strengthen safeguards against online risks.
The petition, filed through advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Fareed Khawaja, calls for an effective age-verification system for social media accounts used by children under 16.
The petitioners have urged the court to direct the government to introduce legislation protecting children from the harmful effects of social media, including cyberbullying, online harassment and inappropriate or harmful content.
Petition seeks comprehensive online safety framework
The petition calls for a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for children’s online safety, including age verification, parental controls and measures to restrict children’s exposure to harmful content.
It also seeks specific responsibilities for social media platforms to protect children and proposes the establishment of a dedicated Social Media Protection and Regulatory Mechanism.
The petition argues that protecting the best interests of children is a constitutional and legal responsibility of the state. It also seeks policies to safeguard children’s digital rights, privacy, and mental and physical well-being.
International laws cited
The petition refers to laws and proposed legislation in several countries as examples of measures being taken to regulate children’s access to social media.
It cites Australia’s legislation restricting social media access for children under 16, as well as France’s requirement for parental consent for children under 15 to access social media platforms.
The petition also refers to the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, which includes measures aimed at protecting children online.
Proposed legislation in New Zealand concerning social media access for under-16s and Spain’s proposed restrictions on social media use by children under 16 have also been cited.
The petition describes these measures as part of an international trend towards stronger digital protection for children and urges Pakistan to introduce similar safeguards.
Government departments named as respondents
The Ministry of IT, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) have been named as respondents in the petition.
The petition also invokes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, which deals with children’s rights in the digital environment.
The petitioners have asked the Islamabad High Court to direct the federal government to take appropriate legislative measures to regulate social media use by children under 16 and establish an effective system to ensure their safety online.