Social media companies are facing increasing scrutiny around the world amid concerns that their platforms are contributing to a mental health crisis among children. PHOTO: PEXELS
ISLAMABAD:
Just over a decade ago, social media was widely hailed for transforming the way people connect, learn and communicate. Today, the conversation has changed.
As smartphones and social media become deeply ingrained in daily life, governments around the world are increasingly debating how to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying and excessive screen time.
One proposal that is gaining ground is to restrict access to social media for minors, particularly those under 16.
Pakistan has now entered this debate. A resolution recently introduced in the Punjab Assembly, urging the federal government to restrict social media accounts for children below 16 without verified parental consent, is the latest in a series of attempts to regulate the online activity of minors.
This follows similar efforts in the Senate and courts over the past year, none of which have yet resulted in binding legislation.
MP Sarah Ahmad, who chairs the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, wants the federal government to legislate four measures: a ban on social media accounts for children under 16 without verified parental consent, an age verification system enforced by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), legal requirements for platforms to promptly remove harmful content, and awareness campaigns for parents and teachers.
However, since the regulation of telecommunications and internet falls under the federal legislative domain, the Punjab Assembly resolution is more of a recommendation than binding. Any nationwide restrictions would therefore require federal legislation.
But Pakistan has already tried this approach twice.
In July 2025, the Senate introduced the Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill 2025. It proposed banning those under 16 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, imposing fines of up to 5 million rupees on non-compliant platforms and jailing adults who helped minors open accounts. The bill also authorizes the PTA to delete existing minor accounts. However, a few weeks later, this proposal was quietly withdrawn after stakeholders argued that the proposed age limit and penalties were too rigid. Senators promised a softer, revised version, but it never resurfaced.
The issue returned to the Senate on January 16, 2026, when some senators raised it again through a notice of appeal, this time proposing restrictions for those under 18 rather than those under 16. The government’s response was to propose the creation of a committee. No formal legislation followed.
Meanwhile, the courts have defended this issue more actively than Parliament. Two petitions are currently pending.
In Lahore, a petition filed by an eighth-grade student prompted Chief Justice Aalia Neelum to order a judicial officer to seek directions from the government and report by mid-February. No public results from this hearing have since been published.
In Islamabad, a petition filed by a 12-year-old boy led the Islamabad High Court to order the PTA and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a report by March 3 on age verification mechanisms and progress towards the creation of a proposed social media protection and regulation authority. However, as no one showed up for the hearing, the matter was adjourned until April 20. Neither case has resulted in a public resolution since.
Pakistan is not alone in debating age limits for accessing social media, but countries have taken different approaches.
Australia has taken the toughest stance, banning social media accounts for those under 16 and charging platforms with preventing underage users from accessing their services through age guarantee measures. Indonesia and Malaysia have also adopted stricter restrictions, while China has gradually restricted minors’ access to digital platforms in recent years.
Others have taken a less restrictive approach. Brazil requires greater parental involvement and age verification rather than an outright ban, while several European countries are still debating similar legislation. France’s proposal, for example, has attracted attention from the European Commission for its compatibility with EU law, highlighting the legal and practical challenges of regulating children’s access to social media.
Pakistan is currently in the same “under discussion” category as India, Germany, Canada and Nigeria, behind countries that have already enacted or adopted such laws. But would such a proposal be feasible in Pakistan?
Social development activist Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi, who has worked on digital policy, is skeptical that such a move would significantly improve the situation, given Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. He argues that without a robust, privacy-friendly age verification system, enforcement would be easy to circumvent through false age claims, VPNs or shared accounts.
According to him, account-level bans have limited value. While they may reduce access for some children, they do not address the root causes of cyberbullying, harmful content or excessive use of social media, and could instead push younger users to less regulated platforms. He argues that the most effective approach lies in stronger platform accountability, age-appropriate design, parental controls and digital literacy, rather than a strict age barrier.
