The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has informed the Islamabad High Court that it does not have the legal authority to restrict children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms or introduce mandatory age verification requirements for online services. The regulator submitted its position in Writ Petition No. 4163 of 2026, explaining the limits of its powers under existing legislation and stating that any such measures would require a separate legal and regulatory framework. The report was submitted in response to proceedings concerning online safety measures and restrictions related to children’s access to social media platforms.
In its submission, PTA stated that Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, provides the authority to block or remove unlawful online content based on specific legal grounds. However, the regulator clarified that this provision does not provide powers to determine a minimum age requirement for social media users or establish a nationwide age verification system. According to PTA, while it can take action against unlawful content and process complaints received through relevant channels, introducing broader restrictions on user access would require explicit legal backing. The regulator maintained that it cannot implement such requirements through an administrative order when the existing law does not specifically authorize it to do so.
PTA further explained that implementing mandatory age verification would involve multiple legal, technical, and privacy considerations that would need to be addressed through a dedicated framework. These considerations include the methods used to verify users’ ages, identifying responsibility for checking age information, protecting personal identity data, ensuring privacy safeguards, establishing compliance requirements for online platforms, conducting audits, and defining penalties for non compliance. The authority noted that without clear legislation covering these areas, creating a universal age verification mechanism or maintaining an age based database would fall outside its current mandate. PTA also highlighted that countries including Australia and several European Union states have introduced social media age restrictions under their own legal systems, and those approaches cannot automatically provide similar regulatory powers to PTA in Pakistan.
The regulator informed the court that it will continue carrying out responsibilities allowed under existing laws, including handling complaints, reviewing reported online material, coordinating with social media platforms, and taking blocking measures where permitted. However, PTA emphasized that measures such as setting 16 years as the minimum age for social media use, creating a centralized age verification system, or making verification compulsory for all platforms would require specific legislation from the relevant authorities. The submission highlights the distinction between content regulation powers already available to PTA and broader policy decisions involving online access restrictions and user identity verification. As discussions around child safety, digital rights, and internet governance continue, the issue is expected to require coordination among lawmakers, regulators, technology platforms, and other stakeholders to establish an approach that balances online protection with privacy and legal considerations.
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