Web Desk: The Interior Ministry has decided to consult key stakeholders before finalising measures aimed at addressing concerns over child exploitation and inappropriate content online, according to sources.
Officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), as well as federal and provincial police departments, are expected to participate in the consultations. The meeting will also review cases involving the exploitation of children and obscene material circulating on social media.
Among the proposals under consideration is the introduction of a minimum age for social media use. Authorities are also examining measures to address inappropriate material published under the label of family vlogging, the sources said.
However, the proposals remain under consultation and no final decision has been announced.
The government is also expected to examine whether certain social media platforms should face restrictions, drawing on regulatory approaches adopted by other countries.
Officials will review social media policies in Australia and other jurisdictions as part of the consultation process, according to the sources. The discussions are intended to help authorities determine how Pakistan could strengthen protections for children while regulating online content.
The proposed measures come amid broader concerns about the exposure of children to harmful material and the misuse of social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the European Commission on Thursday adopted its proposed EU KIDS Act, which would introduce common rules across the bloc for children’s access to social media and other digital services.
Under the proposal, children under 13 would not be allowed to have social media accounts. Young people aged 13 to under 15 would only be able to use limited, parent-supervised accounts, while users aged 15 and above could create autonomous accounts.
The European Commission said the framework would also require online services to adopt safety-by-design measures, including stronger age assurance, safer default settings and controls aimed at reducing harmful or addictive features. The proposed rules would cover social media and video-sharing platforms as well as certain online games, AI chatbots and app stores.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has argued that platforms should bear greater responsibility for demonstrating that their services are safe for children.
For Pakistan, the EU proposal and policies adopted elsewhere could provide reference points as authorities consult regulators, police and cybercrime investigators on potential changes to the country’s social media framework.
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