A petition seeking a complete ban on social media use by children under the age of 16 has been filed before the Lahore High Court, calling for greater legal protection for minors from the potential risks associated with unrestricted social media access.
The petition was heard by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, who summoned the Attorney General for Pakistan and the Advocate General of Punjab to assist the court on legal matters related to the case.
The petition was filed by Alaia Saleem, who has requested the court to impose a complete ban on social media use by children below the age of 16.
During the proceedings, the petitioner told the court that countries including Australia, Brazil and Italy have introduced legal restrictions on social media access for children under 16.
The petition argues that unrestricted and unsupervised use of social media is exposing children to psychological, educational and other problems.
It further maintains that stronger safeguards are necessary to protect children from the potential consequences of excessive or unregulated online activity.
The petitioner has asked the Lahore High Court to consider international examples and direct the relevant authorities to impose a formal restriction on social media use by children under 16 in Pakistan.
The case comes amid growing international debate over children’s online safety, parental supervision and the responsibility of social media platforms to protect younger users.