The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority in a case seeking stronger safeguards for children using social media platforms.
The notices were issued by the IHC chief justice after an applicant requested that both institutions be included in the ongoing proceedings concerning children’s online safety.
The petition calls for a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to protect minors from online risks. It seeks a ban on social media accounts for children under 16, effective age verification and measures to ensure parental supervision of their online activities.
The applicant has asked the court to examine whether NADRA could develop a secure and effective age verification system to help determine users’ ages. The proposed inclusion of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority aims to address platform accountability, personal data protection and complaint redressal mechanisms.
The petition highlights several risks children may face online, including cyberbullying, harassment, sexual exploitation, exposure to inappropriate content and digital addiction.
It urges the state to introduce stronger protections for children’s best interests, mental health, privacy and dignity while using social media platforms.
The court’s issuance of notices is a procedural step in the case and does not mean that a ban on social media accounts for children under 16 has been approved.