ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s IT minister warned that prohibiting children from social media could drive them to less regulated platforms, calling for stronger age verification and enhanced safeguards as nations worldwide tighten access restrictions for minors.
Pakistan has yet to implement a full‑blown under‑16 social‑media ban, though proposals have been submitted to Parliament, a provincial assembly, and the courts. The discussion balances protecting children from exploitation and harmful material while maintaining access to information and education.
Australia introduced requirements in December 2025 for major platforms to bar under‑16 users from creating accounts, and Britain unveiled a parallel plan in September, slated for rollout in spring 2027.
“How can we stop our young children from moving to platforms that lack regulation, guidelines, or policies, and that we do not monitor directly?” IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja asked at an online‑safety event in Islamabad on Wednesday.
“Consequently, those platforms become more hazardous than the current situation,” Khawaja warned.
Khawaja noted that requests for an outright ban on children and teenagers continue to arrive, but she cautioned that young users might turn to VPNs to evade restrictions.
“We must avoid hasty decisions that generate unintended consequences or launch a cascade of new challenges,” she added.
The Punjab Assembly approved a September 1 resolution urging federal legislation to limit social‑media accounts for children under 16, though the measure remains a recommendation rather than an enforceable ban.
An earlier Social Media (Age‑Restricted Users) Bill was introduced in the Senate in July 2025, but its sponsors withdrew it on August 18 of the same year, per parliamentary records.
A separate petition before the Islamabad High Court calls for legislation and a regulatory framework governing under‑16 users’ access. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority acknowledged this month that it lacks statutory authority to mandate age verification or ban minors from social‑media platforms.
The National Commission on the Rights of Children has opposed a blanket ban in its court filing, recommending age‑appropriate protections, default private accounts, limits on addictive features, and stronger safeguards against unwanted contacts and exploitation.
AGE CHECKS AND PLATFORM RESPONSIBILITY
During the online‑safety event, Khawaja said Pakistan was exploring more reliable age‑assurance mechanisms with technology firms to ensure younger‑user protections are implemented more effectively.
She also questioned screen‑time limits and nighttime browsing, announcing no new restrictions, technical systems, or implementation timelines at this stage.
The minister urged platform developers to embed safety features into their products and to broaden awareness beyond major urban centers, including targeted messages for both children and parents about the safeguards in place.
International approaches vary in scope. Australia’s rules impose obligations on designated platforms to bar under‑16 accounts, while excluding services such as WhatsApp and Google Classroom.
Britain likewise proposed a restriction that would exempt messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.