LAHORE: Pakistan's Punjab Assembly has passed a resolution seeking an effective legal ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16, amid growing concerns over cyberbullying, online exploitation and the harmful effects of excessive screen time on minors.
The resolution was tabled on Tuesday by lawmaker Sarah Ahmad, who is also the Chairperson of the Child Protection Bureau.
According to the Punjab Assembly spokesperson, the House unanimously adopted the resolution, with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also supporting it. The provincial assembly has recommended that the federal government introduce appropriate legislation to restrict social media access for children below 16.
The resolution called for comprehensive legislation and a coordinated mechanism involving federal and provincial institutions to protect children from the growing dangers of the digital world.
"Unrestricted access to social media is exposing minors to a range of threats, including cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content and mental stress," the resolution said.
It referred to measures adopted by Australia, France, China and several US states to regulate children's access to social media and urged the government to introduce similar legal safeguards in Pakistan.
The move comes as governments around the world grapple with growing concerns over children's online safety, with several studies increasingly examining links between excessive social media use, mental health problems, cyber abuse and exposure to harmful content.
Australia and several European countries have recently moved towards tougher age-based restrictions on social media platforms, while other governments are considering stricter age-verification mechanisms and stronger laws to protect children online.