Punjab has taken a significant step towards strengthening online child protection, with a resolution being tabled in the Punjab Assembly seeking to restrict access to social media platforms for children under the age of 16.
The resolution, aimed at providing a safe and positive digital environment for children, recommends that the federal government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) develop an effective regulatory and monitoring system to enforce age restrictions on social media use.
According to the resolution, effective legal measures should be introduced, including a robust age verification system to prevent children under 16 from creating or operating social media accounts.
Punjab Child Protection & Welfare Bureau Chairperson Sarah Ahmed said every child deserves a safe childhood as well as a secure digital future. She stressed that it is both the constitutional and moral responsibility of the state to protect children from the harmful effects of social media, including cyberbullying, online exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content.
The resolution notes that several countries, including Australia, France, China and a number of states in the United States, have already introduced legislation or age-based restrictions governing social media use by minors.
It states that, in light of these international developments, Pakistan should also enact effective legislation to ensure a safer online environment for children and protect their digital well-being.
