Petition filed in Pakistan to restrict social media for children under 16 — Dawn
A petition has been filed with Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court requesting restrictions on unrestricted access to social media for children under 16, as well as protection from obscene content on television and other platforms.
As Dawn reports, lawyers Sheraz Zaka and Moin Akhtar submitted the document to the court registry in Lahore. Zaka described himself as an activist, while Akhtar identified himself as the father of a minor child.
Applicants’ arguments
The petition’s authors claim that Pakistani children are exposed to cyberbullying, potentially addictive platform mechanisms, sexualized content, and the glorification of alcohol. In their view, this harms children’s mental and moral development.
The applicants noted that Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act of 2016 does not contain separate restrictions for users under 16. They also claim that the country’s legislation does not require mandatory age verification to access social media.
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The document’s authors cited Australia, Italy, and Brazil as countries where, they said, bans on social media use by people under 16 have already been introduced. They also accused the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority of inadequately enforcing its own code of conduct on television programs and advertising during hours when children may be watching.
The petition also mentions the country’s education crisis: the applicants cite data on approximately 25 million children who do not attend school.
What decisions are being sought
The petition asks the court to order the federal government to amend the 2016 law to restrict social media access for users under 16 and introduce an age-verification mechanism. The media regulator is also being asked to more strictly ensure compliance with content standards during children’s viewing hours.
In addition, the applicants want the government to coordinate with social platforms on parental controls and take measures regarding children who do not attend school and the level of dropouts from educational institutions. The respondents named in the case are the federal government through the ministries of justice and information technology, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
