Calls for effective legislation and age verification to protect children from online harms
Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Reddit applications are displayed on a mobile phone ahead of new law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia, in this picture illustration taken on December 9, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution recommending measures to restrict social media access for children under the age of 16 and ensure their safety in the digital environment.
The resolution was moved by Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Chairperson and MPA Sarah Ahmed, and called for effective legislation to protect children under 16 and safeguard their digital future.
The resolution recommended measures to protect children from cyber harassment, online sexual exploitation and inappropriate content. It also called for an effective age-verification mechanism on social media platforms to identify underage users.
Read: Social media rules: IHC issues notices
It further recommended making social media companies comply with child protection standards and establishing a coordinated mechanism among federal and provincial institutions for the online protection of children.
Sarah said every child would be provided with a safe childhood and a secure digital future. She said child protection and a safe digital environment were among the priorities of the Punjab government.
She said the state had a fundamental responsibility to protect the best interests of children and that an effective regulatory framework was essential to ensure their safety in the digital environment.
Countries around the globe, including China, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye, have either instituted measures intended to curtail or bar access to social media for young people, or have said they were planning to do so.
