Lahore High Court WhatsApp Liability

The Pakistan — Lahore High Court issued a significant ruling clarifying criminal liability in Meta Platforms — WhatsApp groups, stating that merely creating, administering, or being a member of a group does not automatically make a person criminally liable for content posted by others. Criminal liability must be based on an individual's own identifiable acts, such as uploading or disseminating unlawful material. The court dismissed the post-arrest bail application of Syed Abdul Mannan, who was accused of circulating blasphemous material, citing technical evidence from the Pakistan — Federal Investigation Agency that linked him to the offensive content found in his mobile phone's 'sent' folder. The ruling emphasized that administrators are not vicariously liable unless there is evidence of common intention, conspiracy, abetment, or active participation in circulating unlawful material. The court also rejected arguments about potential tampering with forensic evidence due to delays, noting the documented chain of custody.