The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to relevant government authorities over a petition seeking regulation of social media use by children under the age of 16.
Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition and sought responses from the Ministry of IT, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Law. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and PEMRA have also been asked to respond.
The petition calls for an effective age-verification mechanism for social media accounts operated by children. It also seeks legislation aimed at protecting minors from the potential harmful effects of social media platforms.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that several countries have introduced legislation focused on protecting children in the digital environment. The lawyer maintained that safeguarding the best interests of children is an constitutional and legal responsibility of the state.
The court asked whether PEMRA currently has any specific law regulating social media use by children. The counsel responded that no dedicated legislation has so far been introduced in this regard.
The court was informed that PEMRA has legal powers to take action on complaints in certain matters, but there is currently no specific framework dealing with the regulation of social media accounts of children under 16.
The Islamabad High Court has issued notices to all relevant parties and sought their responses before proceeding further with the case.