PESHAWAR – The Peshawar High Court has sought a report from the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority regarding a petition linked to TikTok content and its impact on society.
The case was heard by a bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Farah Jamshed. The petition was filed over concerns that certain videos uploaded on TikTok are contributing to social and moral issues.
During the hearing, petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Babar Shehzad Imran argued that inappropriate content on the platform is affecting social values. He requested stronger action to control such material and raised concerns about the increasing availability of objectionable videos.
The lawyer also informed the court that the Peshawar High Court had earlier asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit a report regarding the firewall system. PTA’s representative, Jahanzeb Mehsud, told the court that the requested report had already been presented.
The PTA lawyer explained that social media platforms, including TikTok, operate through algorithms. He said these systems show users similar content based on their viewing patterns. According to him, controlling specific videos individually is a difficult process.
He further stated that the authority is taking steps to address complaints related to harmful content. Several TikTok accounts have already been blocked following complaints received by the relevant authorities.
During the hearing, Justice Ijaz Anwar questioned why certain content cannot be removed quickly when the government wants specific political posts blocked. He asked why similar measures cannot be applied to other problematic content.
In response, the PTA lawyer said a separate regulatory body has now been established to manage social media-related matters. He informed the court that the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority has been created for this purpose.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that if proper regulation is not introduced, public concerns may increase. He requested that the newly formed authority should also provide its response before the court.
The Peshawar High Court accepted the request and directed the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority to submit a report on the matter. The court later adjourned further proceedings until the report is received.
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The case highlights ongoing discussions about regulating social media platforms in Pakistan. Authorities continue to face challenges in balancing online freedom with concerns over harmful and inappropriate digital content.
