Ali Raza Khan 
Pakistan’s discussion on restricting social media access to children below the age of 16 has reached a significant legal point after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority submitted to the Islamabad High Court that it does not have statutory power to implement a universal Pakistan social media age verification system or to ban minors from using social media. The post was set out in a detailed report in response to a petition calling for legislation and a comprehensive regulatory framework for online child safety.
Current legislation defines the powers of the PTA, and it has no power to impose a new minimum age requirement for social media accounts by administrative action alone. The authority argued that a blanket minimum age of 16 would require legislation, and it was up to Parliament to create such a framework, not the regulator.
No Age Limit For Social Media PECA Framework
The PTA’s position is partly grounded in the existing framework of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. Section 37 of PECA 2016 gives power to block or remove unlawful content online on specific legal grounds, but the authority has said that the provision does not empower it to set a minimum age for social media users.
This matters because an age restriction would be a different type of regulatory intervention. Content blocking is typically aimed at illegal material, whereas age verification involves platforms or regulators in deciding who is accessing a service and whether or not that person is of a legally established age.
Child Safety Debate In Pakistan: Legislative Pressure Building
The court proceedings come amid growing calls in Pakistan for better protections for children using online platforms. The Punjab Assembly in September passed a resolution seeking legal curbs on social media accounts of children below the age of 16 years and demanded effective age-verification mechanisms across platforms.
Concerns raised in the Punjab resolution included cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, and mental stress. It also called for improved coordination between federal and provincial bodies, tougher child-protection standards for technology companies, and ongoing digital-awareness programs involving parents, teachers and children.
Senate Bill Reveals Earlier Attempt To Set Age Limits
A proposal to restrict access to social media for younger users has already been introduced in Pakistan’s Parliament. The Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Senate in July 2025 and proposed measures to restrict access for people under 16 and address online harms, privacy and commercial exploitation.
But the bill never became law, the parliamentary record shows. The Senate notes that the proposal was referred to the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat before it was withdrawn by its movers on 18th August 2025.
Need For A Broader Legal Framework For Age Verification
A functioning age-verification system would be much more than just entering a date of birth when signing up for a social media account. The PTA has said there is a need for rules on methods of verification, who is responsible for checking ages, how identity information is handled, privacy safeguards, platform compliance, audits and penalties.
Pakistan would also have to decide how much personal data to share with technology companies. A system that requires significant identity documentation could present privacy and cybersecurity risks if sensitive information is unnecessarily stored or shared across multiple institutions.
Enforcement Challenges From Large Tech Platforms
The PTA also pointed out the technical and institutional challenges in regulating big global platforms. Services such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google and X are delivered through internet-based systems and may not be subject to the same licensing arrangements as traditional telecommunications operators.
Encryption poses an added challenge for enforcement at the content level. The PTA told the court that HTTPS connections can prevent network operators from knowing which posts, pages, or videos are being accessed, making selective blocking difficult without the platform itself cooperating. A whole service block may also impact legitimate material and content in the sights of regulators.
Pakistan’s Nascent Digital Regulation Framework Is Evolving
The legal landscape too has changed since the original PECA framework was introduced. According to the PTA’s report, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 provides for a Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, which is supposed to take over the regulation of social media platforms from the PTA once the new institutional arrangement is formally operational.
In the meantime, the PTA has been continuing relevant functions under the existing framework until the transition. The authority described its role as transitional in the changing regulatory environment, emphasising the significance of institutional clarity as Pakistan moves forward to build its next phase of digital governance.
Islamabad High Court Proceedings Unite Institutions
Following the filing of a petition, the Islamabad High Court has emerged as a significant forum for the continued debate, urging better legal protections for children using social media. In August, the court had sought responses from relevant federal ministries and regulators, including the Ministry of IT, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Information, PTA and PEMRA.
The proceedings demonstrate that the telecommunications regulator cannot tackle child online safety on its own. Questions on education, privacy, child protection, criminal law, platform responsibility and online literacy involve several institutions and require coordination among federal authorities.
Online Literacy Can Complement Tougher Regulation
Regulation is only one aspect of Pakistan’s child online safety framework. The PTA has stressed awareness campaigns with organisations such as UNICEF, TikTok, Meta and the GSM Association, as well as campaigns on internet literacy and online safety.
The authority has also reported a toll-free mechanism to report online abuse and exploitation of children. Such measures can offer practical support as wider legislation is considered, not least because online risks can arise even when users meet an established minimum age.
Pakistan Has To Decide Between Restrictive Or Comprehensive Protection
The current debate is moving beyond whether children under 16 should have social media accounts. The more serious policy challenge is how Pakistan can develop a system that protects minors, but is legally permissible, technically feasible and respectful of privacy.
The PTA’s submission makes clear that the existing authority does not provide the foundation for a universal age-verification regime. The recent resolution by the Punjab Assembly, the Islamabad High Court proceedings and the earlier bill in the Senate all suggest that the matter is being looked at through legislative, judicial and institutional means rather than administrative regulation.
