Protecting Childhood in the Digital World

By Tuba Khan

Children are among the most innocent creations of God and hence deserve special attention, protection and guidance. During adolescence, individuals acquire values and develop personality, so it is a collective responsibility of the family and the state to create an environment for the children that is constructive and productive enough to nurture their creativity and foster their sense of responsibility. However, in the contemporary digital era, protecting the children is an arduous task as the Internet and social media have become an integral part of the children’s lives.

Certainly, social media has helped in providing numerous benefits and played a commendable role in educating and entertaining children. Nevertheless, its unrestricted use may lead to serious repercussions. Cyberbullying, online harassment, sexual abuse, violence and other negative content on social media may harm the children’s psyche because they do not have enough mental maturity to deal with these problems. Therefore, there is a dire need for increased security measures to safeguard children’s childhood and innocence.

In this respect, the recent petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) holds great importance. On August 23, 2026, the IHC was approached through a petition seeking directions to the federal government to enact laws and regulations to ensure responsible use of social media by children below 16 years of age. The petition was filed by advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid Khawaja. They highlighted the point that children in Pakistan are highly exposed to the menace of social media and call for the establishment of an efficient age verification system. The petition also urges for a coherent policy on the digital rights, privacy and physical and psychological safety of the children. It draws attention to the need for greater accountability on the part of the social media companies in protecting the interests of the minors and establishing an institution responsible for the online protection of the children. Petitioners highlighted Australia, France, UK, New Zealand and Spain as exemplary models that have already implemented certain protective measures, such as age restrictions, parental consent and age verification mechanism to protect children in the digital world.

Indeed, the worry of the judicial system of Pakistan over this issue is not entirely new. Earlier this year, in February 2026, Islamabad High Court instructed the government, PTA and other concerned departments to provide information about the regulatory framework for restricting the access of minors to social media and the importance of securing them against any possible online risks.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child argues that the state should not consider the protection of children on online platforms as merely a policy objective but a legal obligation. State should create appropriate legal framework and enforcement measures. Furthermore, social media companies should enforce necessary child safety measures. At the same time, children’s right to privacy and access to information should not be unnecessarily compromised. It should be noted that the regulation of the use of technology among children should not lead to total isolation of children from the use of technologies. Digital literacy is also necessary. Children must be educated about how to recognize harmful content, protect their personal information, report cyberbullying and communicate online responsibly. Parents instead of enforcing strict restrictions should engage in conversations with their children. It is also the responsibility of schools to provide digital education in order for children to understand both positive and negative aspects of social media. Unfortunately, Pakistan lags significantly behind on this front and is yet to develop an efficient nation-wide age verification system that can keep children away from adult social media websites.

However, the petition before Islamabad High Court brings out an important discussion with respect to the role of the government and technology firms towards the young generation. Here, the government is required to take a balanced approach in terms of safeguarding the children from dangers posed by the virtual world without denying them the advantages associated with the internet and technology. In order to achieve this objective, there are a number of steps that Pakistan must take. First, it is required to put in place strict child-oriented policies and laws governing the children’s interaction with the internet. Secondly, it must establish an effective and efficient system for verification of age to ensure that children do not have access to platforms that are not meant for their age. Thirdly, technology firms must be made responsible for inadequate protection of children on their platforms. The bottom line is that children should be able to enjoy technology without being harmed by it