Islamabad High Court asks government and regulators to respond to petition seeking age verification and stronger safeguards for children online
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sought responses from the federal government and regulatory authorities on a petition seeking stronger regulation of social media use by children under the age of 16.
IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar resumed the hearing of the petition and issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).
Petition calls for age verification
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that protecting the best interests of children was a constitutional and legal responsibility of the state.
The counsel told the court that several countries had introduced or were considering age restrictions and safety measures for children using social media platforms.
“Different countries are making children’s use of social media subject to age limits and safety measures,” the counsel submitted.
The court subsequently questioned Pemra about the existing legal framework governing children’s access to social media.
“Is there any law in Pemra regarding this? Has any such law been made so far?” the court asked.
In response, the counsel said that no specific legislation had so far been enacted and that Pemra could act only when a complaint was lodged.
The IHC subsequently issued notices to the relevant ministries and regulatory bodies and directed the law officer to ensure compliance with the court’s orders.
Petition seeks protection for children
The petition was filed by a citizen through advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Fareed Khawaja.
It seeks the introduction of an effective age-verification mechanism for social media accounts belonging to children under 16, along with a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to protect minors from potential harms associated with social media.
The petitioner has raised concerns including cyberbullying, online harassment, exposure to harmful content and threats to children’s digital privacy and wellbeing.
The plea also calls for a dedicated mechanism to protect children on social media and asks the federal government to enact legislation specifically regulating social media use by under-16s.
International examples cited
The petitioner referred to measures adopted or proposed in several countries as examples of the growing international focus on children’s online safety.
These include Australia’s restrictions concerning social media accounts for children under 16, France’s requirement for parental consent for children under 15, and the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023.
The petition also cited proposed legislation in New Zealand concerning social media use by under-16s and proposed restrictions in Spain.
According to the petitioner, these developments demonstrate an emerging international approach centred on age verification, parental controls and safeguards against harmful online content.
UN Convention cited
The petitioner also relied on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, arguing that the state has an obligation to protect the best interests of children in the digital environment.
The plea seeks a comprehensive policy to safeguard children’s digital rights, privacy and mental and physical wellbeing.
It further requests the establishment of a dedicated social media protection and regulatory mechanism for children, as well as directions to the federal government to introduce appropriate legislation governing social media access by children under 16.
The IHC’s notices to government ministries and regulatory authorities mark the next stage of proceedings, with the court seeking their responses to the petition before considering the matter further.