Two lawyers have filed a petition before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) seeking directions to restrict social media access of children under 16, as well as protect them from indecent content on television and other platforms.
The petition argues that unrestrained social media access is exposing Pakistani children to cyber bullying, addictive platform design, sexualized content and the glorification of alcohol, harming their mental and moral development. It further maintains no existing Pakistani law mandates age verification for social media access, noting the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, contains no specific restriction for users under 16.
It has made the federal government through the law ministry, the information technology ministry, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, PEMRA and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority as respondent in the petition.
Citing examples of Australia, Italy, and Brazil as states that have already imposed under-16 social media bans, the petitioners have argued that such regulation is both feasible and necessary. The petition also argues that media regulator PEMRA has failed to enforce its own code of conduct, allowing dramas and advertisements containing intimate scenes and alcohol depictions to air during hours when children are likely watching.
The petition states that the government’s failure to act violates articles 9, 14, 25, 25-A and 35 of the Constitution and has invoked the Convention on the Rights of the Child and a prior Lahore High Court ruling that directed the state to legislate on human rights and social issues.
The petitioners have urged the FCC to direct the federal government to amend PECA to restrict social media access for under-16s with an age-verification mechanism, as well as order PEMRA to strictly enforce content standards during child-viewing hours. They also seek a direction to the government for coordination with social media platforms on parental controls and action on out-of-school children and dropout rates.
The petition follows rising calls for restricting social media access to Pakistani children under-16. On Sept. 1, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution seeking a legal ban on social media accounts for children, citing similar drawbacks as listed in the FCC petition. The Islamabad High Court, ruling on a separate petition, has also sought responses from relevant ministries on a framework to regulate social media for children under-16.