LAHORE (Kashmir English): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday sought a response from the federal government and other relevant authorities on a petition seeking to ban social media use for children under 16 years of age.
The court has sought a response from the government by February 16 on the petition filed by Aliya Saleem and others through Advocate Shiza Qureshi, who argued before Chief Justice Aalia Neelum.
The plea maintains that social media use has adverse effects on the mental, moral, and educational development of children.
The petitioner’s advocate referred to actions by some countries toward restricting under-16s’ access to social media, saying Australia has already imposed a ban and other nations are considering legislation.
Justice Neelum observed that it was an important matter requiring government policy input and directed a law officer to obtain instructions from the relevant ministries and authorities before the next hearing.
Earlier this month, Senators have also recently called for oversight of social media use by children under the age of 18, reflecting broader legislative interest in regulating online platforms for young users.
Presiding over the sitting, Senator Sherry Rehman said some checks were needed and suggested forming a special committee to develop safeguards in consultation with relevant ministries.
