LHC Seeks Reply on Social Media Ban

Lahore: (Web Desk) – As debates intensify over restricting children’s access to social media, the Lahore High Court has sought responses from the federal government and other relevant authorities on a petition calling for a ban on social media usage by children below the age of 16.

According to a private news channel, LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition on Wednesday, which was filed by Aliya Saleem and others through Advocate Shiza Qureshi. During the hearing, Justice Aalia Neelum observed that the matter involved an important policy issue that required serious consideration by the government.

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Advocate Shiza Qureshi argued that excessive use of social media was negatively impacting the mental, moral and educational development of children. She informed the court that several developed countries were taking steps to regulate social media access for minors, citing recent bans imposed in Australia and France, while countries including Norway, Malaysia and New Zealand were in the process of enacting similar legislation. The petitioner requested the court to direct authorities to ban social media usage for children under 16 years of age. The court subsequently instructed the law officer to obtain directions from the government and submit a detailed report by February 16.