LAHORE – A resolution has been tabled before the Punjab Assembly proposing a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16 without parental consent, in response to rising concerns about cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, and digital addiction among minors.
The proposal, introduced by Punjab lawmaker Sarah Ahmad, calls on the provincial government to advise the federal authorities to enact comprehensive legislation regulating children’s access to social media and to strengthen online safety measures.
It emphasizes that safeguarding children’s physical, mental, psychological, and moral development is both a constitutional and moral duty of the state, noting that unrestricted social media access has exposed minors to cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, psychological distress, digital addiction, and other serious online threats.
The resolution recommends that the federal government pass legislation prohibiting children under 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts unless parental or legal guardian consent is obtained via a reliable age‑verification mechanism. It also urges the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to develop and enforce effective age‑verification systems for all social media platforms operating in Pakistan, ensuring compliance with the proposed restrictions.
The resolution further seeks to make social media companies responsible for complying with child protection standards by requiring them to promptly remove harmful content and provide a safer digital environment for minors.
It urges federal govt to introduce law for children’s safety
It recommends that the relevant federal and provincial departments launch sustained awareness campaigns for parents, teachers and children to promote digital literacy, online safety and the responsible use of the internet. In addition, the resolution calls for stronger coordination between federal and provincial authorities and introduction of comprehensive legislation aimed at enhancing the online protection of children.
The proposal comes at a time when governments around the world are considering stricter regulation of children’s use of social media amid mounting evidence linking excessive online activity with mental health issues, cyber abuse and exposure to harmful content.
Several countries, including Australia, besides the EU have recently moved towards imposing age-based restrictions on access to social media platforms, while others are examining stronger age-verification requirements and enhanced child online safety laws.
If adopted by the Punjab Assembly, the resolution will serve as a recommendation to the federal government, which has legislative authority over telecommunications, internet regulation and digital platforms.
