Can Pakistan keep under-16s off social media?

Just over a decade ago, social media was widely celebrated for transforming the way people connect, learn and communicate. Today, the conversation has shifted. As smartphones and social media become deeply embedded in everyday life, governments around the world are increasingly debating how to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying and excessive screen time. One proposal gaining traction is restricting social media access for minors, particularly those under the age of 16. Pakistan has now entered that debate. A resolution recently moved in the Punjab Assembly, urging the federal government to restrict social media accounts for children under 16 without verified parental consent, is the latest in a series of attempts to regulate minors' online activity. It follows similar efforts in the Senate and the courts over the past year, none of which has yet resulted in binding legislation. MPA Sarah Ahmad, who chairs Punjab's 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, a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)-enforced age verification system, legal obligations on platforms to swiftly remove harmful content, and awareness campaigns for parents and teachers. However, as telecommunication and internet regulation fall within the federal legislative domain, the Punjab Assembly's resolution is recommendatory rather than binding. Any nationwide restrictions would therefore require federal legislation. Pakistan, however, has already tried this twice. In July 2025, the Senate introduced the Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill 2025. It proposed barring under-16s from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, imposing fines of up to Rs5 million on non-compliant platforms, and jailing adults who helped minors open accounts. The bill also empowered the PTA to delete existing underage accounts. Weeks later, however, it was quietly withdrawn after stakeholders argued that the proposed age limit and penalties were too rigid.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 calling-attention notice, this time proposing restrictions for under-18s rather than under-16s. The government's response was to propose forming a committee. No formal legislation followed. Meanwhile, the courts have been pushing the 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 direct a law officer to seek government instructions and report back by mid-February. No public outcome from that hearing has since emerged. In Islamabad, a petition filed by a 12-year-old led the Islamabad High Court to direct the PTA and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a report by March 3 on age-verification mechanisms and progress towards establishing a proposed Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority. However, when no one appeared at the hearing, the case was adjourned until April 20. Neither case has produced a public resolution since. Pakistan is not alone in debating age limits for social media, but countries have adopted different approaches. Australia has taken the toughest stance, banning social media accounts for under-16s and placing responsibility on platforms to prevent underage users from accessing their services through age-assurance measures. Indonesia and Malaysia have also moved towards stricter restrictions, while China has progressively tightened minors' access to digital platforms over the past several years. Others have adopted a less restrictive approach. Brazil requires stronger parental involvement and age verification rather than an outright ban, while several European countries are still debating similar legislation. France's proposal, for instance, has drawn scrutiny from the European Commission over its compatibility with EU law, highlighting the legal and practical challenges of regulating children's access to social media. Pakistan currently sits in the same "under discussion" category as India, Germany, Canada and Nigeria, behind countries that have already enacted or passed such laws. But would such a proposal be workable in Pakistan? Social development activist Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi, who has worked on digital policy, is sceptical that such a measure would significantly improve the situation, given Pakistan's digital infrastructure. He argues that without a robust, privacy-preserving age-verification system, enforcement would be easy to circumvent through false age declarations, VPNs or shared accounts. In his view, 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 social media use, and could instead push young users towards less-regulated platforms. He argues that the more effective approach lies in stronger platform accountability, age-appropriate design, parental controls and digital literacy, rather than a hard age gate.

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