ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has disclosed that it does not have the legal authority to stop children from using social media or to enforce mandatory age verification across all platforms.
The revelation was made by PTA during a hearing in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). PTA informed the court that it has no legal power to prevent children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms.
The authority stated that it cannot impose mandatory age verification on all social media platforms. PTA clarified that under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, it is only authorized to block or remove unlawful online content.
The law does not grant it the power to regulate access based on age. The case is being heard in the Islamabad High Court regarding the growing concerns over children’s exposure to harmful content on social media, online safety, and digital addiction among minors. Several petitions have called for the government to introduce stricter regulations, similar to laws in countries like Australia and the UK, where social media platforms are required to verify the age of users and restrict access for children under 16.
However, PTA’s stance shows a clear legislative gap. The authority says that without an amendment to PECA 2016 or a new law from Parliament, it cannot take any action to restrict underage social media use. The court has sought further arguments on what legal framework can be adopted to protect children online while balancing digital rights.
If implemented, any age-restriction law would affect millions of young users of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook in Pakistan.
Read also: PTA advises users to take precautions before selling or handing over phones
