A petition filed in the Islamabad High Court requests a ban on social media accounts for children under 16 in Pakistan, citing risks of exploitation and harmful content. Filed by Waqas Nasir and argued by Jalal Haider, Yahya Farid Khwaja, and Muhammad Zeshan Ali, the petition calls for an age-verification system and penalties for parents who allow their children to bypass restrictions, according to medianama.com.
The petitioners urge the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and the National Database and Registration Authority to jointly develop mechanisms to enforce the ban nationwide. They propose penalties for parents who facilitate underage access and require social media platforms to comply with Pakistani law. The petition cites Australia's under-16 social media restrictions as a model and invokes the principle of parens patriae, allowing the state to act as guardian to protect minors, medianama.com reports.
Pakistan's youth population is large, with social media use rapidly expanding. The petition references DataReportal figures estimating nearly 117 million internet users and approximately 79.9 million social media identities in the country. It highlights concerns from international health authorities about the impact of social media on children, emphasizing that minors often cannot independently seek help when facing online abuse or exploitation, according to medianama.com.
The Islamabad High Court is currently considering the petition, which could lead to regulatory changes requiring social media platforms to implement age verification and restrict access for users under 16. The petitioners also seek legal accountability for parents who enable violations, as detailed by medianama.com.