LAHORE: A petition has been filed before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), seeking directions to shield children under 16 from unrestricted social media use and indecent content on television and other platforms.
Two lawyers, Sheraz Zaka and Moin Akhtar, filed the petition at the Lahore registry, with the former identifying himself as an activist and the latter as the father of a minor child.
The petitioners argue that Pakistani children are being exposed to cyber bullying, addictive platform design, sexualised content and the glorification of alcohol — all of which they say harm children’s mental and moral development.
They claim that no Pakistani law currently mandates age verification for social media access, noting that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, contains no specific restriction for users under 16.
Citing examples of Australia, Italy, and Brazil as countries that have already imposed under-16 social media bans, the petitioners argue that such regulation is both feasible and necessary.
