Summary
- ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought responses from the federal government and relevant regulatory bodies on a petition seeking regulation of social media use by children under the age of 16.
- The petition further seeks the creation of a dedicated social media protection and regulatory mechanism for minors.
- The court also questioned whether PEMRA had any law specifically dealing with the protection of children from harmful online content.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought responses from the federal government and relevant regulatory bodies on a petition seeking regulation of social media use by children under the age of 16.
Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition filed by citizen Waqas Nasir. Lawyers Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Fareed Khawaja appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner.
The petition calls for an effective age-verification system for social media accounts operated by children below 16.
It also seeks legislation to protect minors from the harmful effects of social media. These include cyberbullying, online harassment and exposure to harmful content.
The petitioner has urged the court to direct the government to establish a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for children’s online safety.
The petition further seeks the creation of a dedicated social media protection and regulatory mechanism for minors.
During the hearing, lawyer Muhammad Jalal Haider said several countries were introducing age restrictions and other safeguards to protect children in the digital environment.
He described these measures as part of a growing international trend towards stronger online protection for minors.
The lawyer argued that protecting the best interests of children was a constitutional and legal responsibility of the state.
He urged the court to direct the authorities to introduce effective legislation in Pakistan in line with international practices.
The court also questioned whether PEMRA had any law specifically dealing with the protection of children from harmful online content.
In response, the lawyer said PEMRA had powers to act on certain complaints under existing laws. However, he said there was no specific legislation governing children’s use of social media.
The court asked whether any dedicated law had so far been enacted for children’s online protection.
The lawyer replied that no such specific legislation had been introduced to date.
After hearing the arguments, the IHC issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, PTA and PEMRA.
The court directed the relevant parties to submit their responses.
It also instructed the law officer to ensure that the notices were served and complied with.
The court subsequently adjourned the hearing.
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