Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson and Punjab Assembly member Sarah Ahmad has submitted a resolution seeking restrictions on social media use by children younger than 16.
Sarah Ahmad urged the provincial government to recommend that the federal government introduce comprehensive legislation to regulate children’s access to social media platforms and strengthen online safety measures.
The resolution says protecting children’s physical, mental, psychological and moral development is both a constitutional and moral responsibility of the state. It adds that unrestricted access to social media has exposed children to cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, psychological distress, digital addiction and other serious online risks.
The proposal recommends that the federal government introduce legislation preventing children younger than 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts unless permission is granted by a parent or legal guardian through a reliable age-verification system. It also calls on the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to enforce effective age-verification measures across all social media platforms operating in Pakistan.
The resolution also 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 online environment for children.
It also recommends that relevant federal and provincial departments launch long-term awareness campaigns for parents, teachers and children to promote digital literacy, online safety and responsible internet use. It further calls for stronger coordination between federal and provincial authorities and the introduction of comprehensive legislation to improve children’s online protection.
The proposal comes as governments around the world consider stricter rules on children’s use of social media because of growing concerns about mental health issues, cyber abuse and exposure to harmful content linked to excessive online activity.
Several countries, including Australia and members of the European Union, have recently moved toward introducing age-based restrictions on social media access, while others are considering stricter age-verification systems and stronger online child safety laws.
If approved by the Punjab Assembly, the resolution will serve as a recommendation to the federal government, which has the authority to legislate on telecommunications, internet regulation and digital platforms.
