The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recommending measures to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16 and ensure their safety in the digital environment. The resolution was moved by Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson and MPA Sarah Ahmad, calling for effective legislation to protect children under 16 and safeguard their digital future.
The resolution recommended measures to protect children from cyber harassment, online sexual exploitation and inappropriate content, and called for an effective age verification mechanism on social media platforms to identify underage users. It further recommended that social media companies comply with child protection standards, and that a coordinated mechanism be established among federal and provincial institutions for the online protection of children, adding a legislative push at the provincial level to a similar petition currently before the Islamabad High Court.
Sarah Ahmad said every child would be provided with a safe childhood and a secure digital future, describing child protection and a safe digital environment as among the priorities of the Punjab government. She said the state had a fundamental responsibility to protect the best interests of children, and that an effective regulatory framework was essential to ensure their safety in the digital environment.
The Punjab resolution adds to a growing wave of international measures aimed at restricting minors’ social media access, with countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye having either instituted such measures or announced plans to do so. Australia became the first country to enforce a full ban for under-16s in December, while France’s top court blocked a similar bill last month over free expression concerns, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to ask his government to rewrite the legislation. The European Union has also said it is planning stronger protections for children from harmful social media features, even as social media companies generally oppose blanket bans, arguing existing age restrictions already address the concern, a position child protection advocates say remains insufficient given the large number of underage users still active on major platforms.
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