Authority cites legal and technical limits, says new framework needed for age verification
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that existing laws do not empower it to ban social media access for children under 16, while technical limitations also restrict its ability to block individual online content.
In its detailed response to a case concerning restrictions on children’s social media use, the PTA said no current law provides for an under-16 social media ban. It added that introducing an age-verification system would require a new legal and policy framework.
The authority said social media platforms are neither registered in Pakistan nor subject to local laws. It also stated that HTTPS encryption makes it technically difficult to block individual content in many cases, meaning entire websites may have to be blocked instead.
The PTA further told the court that its powers to block unlawful online material are limited and temporary. Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Amendment 2025, a Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority is being established to address complaints involving illegal content and forgery.
According to the PTA, responsibility for action against cybercrime and immoral content now rests with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The authority said it had reviewed more than 1.789 million illegal links and URLs and blocked over 1.577 million, representing an overall blocking rate of 88.20%.
Platform-specific blocking rates were 88.68% for TikTok, 87.34% for YouTube, 78.57% for Facebook, 79.52% for Instagram and 48.42% for X.
The PTA said more than 1.066 million links involving immoral content, over 203,000 concerning anti-Islam material and more than 46,000 related to national security had been blocked.
It added that major social media platforms had not responded to requests for local compliance and the appointment of grievance officers.
The authority highlighted child-safety awareness campaigns conducted with UNICEF, TikTok, Meta and GSMA, as well as toll-free helpline 1121 for reporting online child abuse and exploitation. It also pointed to Instagram’s Teen Accounts feature.
The PTA asked the IHC to dismiss the petition to the extent that the requested relief falls beyond its legal powers. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Interior and National Commission on the Rights of the Child also submitted replies.