Lahore (Web Desk) The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution to ban social media accounts of children under the age of 16.
Government MPA Sarah Ahmed presented the resolution in the House, stating that protecting children’s physical, mental, psychological, and moral development is the constitutional and moral responsibility of the state.
According to the text of the resolution, due to the uncontrolled use of social media, children are facing cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, inappropriate content, mental stress, and other serious risks.
The Punjab Assembly recommended that the federal government impose an effective legal ban on social media accounts of children under the age of 16.
The resolution stated that several countries around the world, including Australia, France, China, and various states of the United States, have already introduced laws and age restrictions regarding social media use by minors.
The resolution further stated that in view of global trends, effective legislation is also necessary in Pakistan for the safe future of children. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was also recommended to implement an effective age-verification system across all social media platforms.
The House demanded that social media companies be required to comply with established child-protection standards, immediately prevent harmful content, and provide a safe digital environment for minors.
The resolution urged relevant federal and provincial institutions to launch digital awareness and safe-internet-use campaigns for parents, teachers, and children, while ensuring a coordinated system between federal and provincial institutions and effective legislation for the online protection of children.