Govt moves to restrict children’s social media use, considers age limit: sources

• Govt plans consultations on age limits, platform restrictions.
• Interior ministry to consult stakeholders before decisions.
• Australia and other countries’ policies will also be examined.

ISLAMABAD: The government has begun considering restrictions on children’s use of social media, with the Ministry of Interior deciding to consult all relevant stakeholders on proposals aimed at curbing child exploitation and obscene content online, sources told Truth Wireon Thursday.

According to sources, a proposal to set a minimum age for social media use is among the measures under consideration, while the government is also examining ways to curb obscenity produced in the name of family vlogging.

The authorities are also considering imposing restrictions or bans on certain social media platforms, as has been done in several other countries, sources said.

The interior ministry will hold a meeting with relevant stakeholders, during which consultations will be held before final decisions are taken, according to sources.

Officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), and federal and provincial police departments will participate in the meeting.

The meeting will also review cases involving child exploitation and obscene content on social media, with relevant details to be presented to the participants.

The sources said social media policies adopted by Australia and several other countries would also be examined during the consultation process.

Countries across the globe are pushing to curb minors’ use of social media platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, amid mounting concerns over the impact of social media on children’s health and safety.

Australia last year became the first country to ban social media for under-16s, with many others following in 2026. The European Commission was the latest to propose such a ban for children under 13.

Earlier on September 1, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution seeking a ban on social media accounts for children under 16 years of age. The resolution was moved in the House by treasury lawmaker Sarah Ahmad.

Through the Punjab government, the resolution urged the Centre to impose an effective legal ban on social media use by children under 16, subject to parental or legal guardian consent and reliable age verification.