A petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) urged the federal government to introduce legislation regulating social media use by children under 16, including mandatory age-verification mechanisms.

Filed by advocates Muhammad Jalal Haider and Yahya Farid Khawaja, the petition seeks stronger safeguards against cyberbullying, online harassment, exploitation, and exposure to harmful content.

The petition cites measures adopted by countries including Australia, France, the UK, New Zealand, and Spain, including age restrictions, parental consent, and age-verification systems.

It also refers to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice, PTA and PEMRA have been named as respondents.

The petition asks the IHC to direct the government to introduce legislation and establish mechanisms for age restrictions, parental controls and protection of minors from harmful online content.