ISLAMABAD (HRNW) — A petition has been filed before the Islamabad High Court seeking restrictions on social media use by children under the age of 16 and stronger safeguards to protect minors from online risks.
The petition was filed by Waqas Nasir through advocates Yahya Fareed Khawaja and Jalal Haider Malik. It asks the court to direct the introduction of an effective age-verification system to prevent children under 16 from creating and operating social media accounts.
Protection of Children Online
The petition argues that comprehensive legislation is needed to protect children from cyberbullying, online harassment, exploitation, harmful content and other digital risks.
The petitioner has also sought clearly defined responsibilities for social media platforms, effective parental controls and a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for the online safety of children.
International Examples Cited
The petition refers to laws and measures adopted in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Spain and other European countries concerning children’s use of social media.
The petitioner has urged the development of similar effective legal and regulatory safeguards in Pakistan to address emerging risks faced by children in the digital environment.
Human Rights and Child Protection
Children’s online safety is closely linked to their fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, dignity and protection from exploitation and abuse. At the same time, any regulatory framework should maintain an appropriate balance between child protection, privacy, freedom of expression and access to digital platforms.
Any age-verification mechanism should also include strong safeguards for children’s and families’ personal data, transparency in implementation and effective regulatory oversight.
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Disclaimer: This report is based on the position, requests and claims presented in the petition filed before the Islamabad High Court. The claims and comparative legal examples cited in the petition have not been independently verified as part of this report. The legal status of the matter will become clearer following court proceedings and any subsequent orders or decisions by the relevant authorities.
