Islamabad:
The Senate has introduced the Bill on “Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) 2025”, which seeks to ban individuals under 16 from setting up social media accounts.
The bill was presented by Senators Sarmad Ali and Masroor Ahmed on Monday, which marked a significant step towards protecting minors from online utilization, cyber bullying and harmful content.
The bill proposes serious penalties for violations. Social media platforms that prove to allow minor users will have fines ranging from RS50,000 to RS5 million. Furthermore, people who help minors create accounts may be exposed to up to six months in prison.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is responsible for deleting all existing social media accounts for minors with authority to prepare and implement rules on the case.
Read more: NO UNDER 16 YEARS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: New Zealand
The bill puts the legal responsibility on social media companies to prevent access to minors and adjust Pakistan’s policy with Australia and New Zealand in an attempt to promote digital security.
Senator Sarmad Ali highlighted the government’s focus on protecting children in the digital age and noting that the bill is an important measure to reduce online damage. It also aims to increase digital awareness among both parents and children and ensure a safer online environment for young users.
Last year, Australian lawmakers also adopted a similar bill to ban under 16 from social media, approving one of the world’s toughest crashes on popular sites such as Facebook, Instagram and X.
The legislation ordered social media companies to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from being adopted in the Senate by 34 votes in favor and 19 against.
