Pakistan is considering tighter restrictions on social media use by children under 16 as lawmakers and regulators discuss ways to improve online safety for minors.

The issue was raised during a meeting of the Senate IT committee on Thursday, where PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman told lawmakers that several countries have introduced age limits for social media users.

Ur Rehman said he had also discussed the matter with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry as Pakistan considers possible measures for regulating children’s access to social media.

Senator Saadia Abbasi called for legislation to stop children below 16 from using social media platforms.

The discussion comes as authorities increase their focus on children’s online safety. The government has separately been considering proposals to introduce a minimum age for social media use, alongside other measures targeting harmful content and child exploitation.

An earlier Senate bill introduced in July 2025 proposed treating users under 16 as age-restricted and requiring covered platforms to prevent them from creating accounts. However, the bill was withdrawn by its movers in August 2025 and is no longer pending before the Senate.

The latest committee discussion therefore points to a renewed debate over whether Pakistan should introduce a nationwide minimum age for social media access.

The issue has also reached the courts. The Islamabad High Court recently sought responses from the federal government and regulators on a petition seeking restrictions on social media use by children under 16.