Representative image (AI-generated)
A lawmaker in Pakistan’s Punjab has sought a ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16 and also called for a similar action across the country.Sarah Ahmad of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), a partner in the ruling coalition, moved the resolution in the Punjab assembly on Tuesday, marking the first such proposal in any provincial or federal legislature in Pakistan. “The protection of children’s physical, mental, psychological and moral development is both a constitutional and moral responsibility of the state. Unrestricted access to social media has exposed minors to cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, psychological distress, digital addiction and other serious online threats,” the resolution said.It urged the federal government to enact legislation “prohibiting children below the age of 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts unless parental or legal guardian consent is obtained through a reliable age-verification mechanism.”The resolution also called on the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to enforce effective age-verification systems across social media platforms operating in the country to ensure compliance with the proposed restrictions.The proposal comes amid growing global efforts to regulate children’s use of social media, driven by mounting evidence linking excessive online activity to mental health issues, cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content. Several countries, including Australia and the UK, have introduced age-based restrictions or stronger child online safety measures, while others are considering tougher age-verification requirements for social media platforms.(With PTI inputs)
