Senate introduces bill to ban social media accounts for U-16s
Senate has introduced the "Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill 2025," which seeks to ban individuals under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts.
The bill was presented by Senators Sarmad Ali and Masroor Ahmed on Monday, marking a significant step towards safeguarding minors from online exploitation, cyberbullying, and harmful content.
The bill proposes severe penalties for violations. Social media platforms found to be allowing underage users will face fines ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs5 million. Furthermore, individuals who assist minors in creating accounts could face up to six months in prison.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will be responsible for deleting all existing social media accounts of minors, with the authority to draft and implement regulations concerning the matter.
Read More: No under-16s on social media: New Zealand
The bill places legal responsibility on social media companies to prevent underage access, aligning Pakistan's policy with those of Australia and New Zealand in a bid to foster digital safety.
Senator Sarmad Ali highlighted the government's focus on protecting children in the digital age, noting that the bill is a vital measure to reduce online harms. It also aims to raise digital awareness among both parents and children, ensuring a safer online environment for young users.
Last year, Australian lawmakers also passed a similar bill to ban under 16s from social media, approving one of the world's toughest crackdowns on popular sites like Facebook, Instagram and X.
The legislation ordered social media firms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent young teens from having accounts was passed in the Senate with 34 votes in favour and 19 against.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Wheat cultivators to protest across Punjab
The Kissan Ittehad and the Sindh Abadgar Alliance have announced a protest movement across Punjab starting from August 11 due to the government's "failure" to fix the official wheat support price. "On August 11, a symbolic funeral for agriculture will be held outside the DC office in Kasur, and a protest will be held outside the Hyderabad Press Club on August 20," Kissan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Hussain Batth said on Saturday at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club. Sindh Abadgar Alliance President Zubair Talpur was also present on the occasion. Batth said protests would take place across all provinces, followed by a march toward Islamabad. "This time, we will protest before the wheat cultivation season begins," he said, clarifying that this movement has no affiliation with any political party. He added that over the past two years, the cost of wheat cultivation has been Rs4,000 per 40kg, while the government purchased wheat from them at only Rs2,200. "We are ready for a forensic audit," he said. "The government demands up to 45% in taxes but how can we pay taxes when we are not even making a profit?" He said if the government does not set a wheat support price before sowing begins, they will initiate talks with the prime minister and chief ministers. If there is still no decision, province-wide protests will be launched in Punjab on August 11 and in Sindh on August 20. "The government has failed to fix wheat prices for the last two years," he noted.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Govt urged to urgently decide PSM's fate
Steam rolls off a slab of steel as it rolls down the line at the Novolipetsk Steel PAO steel mill in Farrell, Pennsylvania, US. PHOTO: REUTERS Members of a Senate panel have urged the government to expedite its decision on the future of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), which has been non-functional for years. The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production visited the PSM on Saturday under the chairmanship of Senator Aon Abbas Buppi. The committee toured various plants within the PSM and reviewed the organization's current debt challenges, payment delays and expenditures, and listened to the concerns of employee unions. They held discussions with PSM Chairman Asad Islam Mahni and other officials on major issues facing the PSM. During a briefing, Mahni informed the committee that by 2024, the mill had accumulated a total loss of Rs600 billion and was paying Rs20 billion annually in interest on current loans. He said the mills owes Rs89 billion to the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as most of the loans from the NBP have been used to cover expenses, including salaries for 934 current employees. The officials told the committee that the government is simultaneously considering two projects: One involves the revival of the mill using Russian firm Industrial Engineering LLC, which would utilize arc and blast furnaces for restoration. The other project considers winding down the mill after appointing a review firm to evaluate its viability. The committee also met with representatives of the workers' union, who apprised them of the hardships faced by both current and laid-off employees. To address their concerns, the committee formed a subcommittee tasked with holding talks with management over workers' complaints. The Senate committee appreciated the current management's efforts to reduce PSM's expenditures. However, it expressed anger over the continued incidents of theft within the organization and instructed authorities to assess the losses incurred from such activities. It also recommended accelerating the disposal of non-functional or expired assets that are no longer operational. The committee was briefed on the arbitrary allotment of PSM land by the Sindh government a few years ago. It expressed concern over the allotment of 1,370 acres and 400 acres of undisputed land to local villages, stating that such allotment cases should be referred to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The committee toured various plants within Pakistan Steel Mills and recommended that the government expedite its decision on the future of the institution.
Business Recorder
12 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PSM's cumulative loss reaches Rs600bn, it pays Rs20bn annual interest: chairman
Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) Chairman Asad Islam Mahni on Saturday said the steel mill's cumulative loss had reached Rs600 billion till 2024, while it paid Rs20bn annual interest. This the PSM chairman told Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production, headed by Senator Aon Abbas, during its visit to the PSM in Karachi. The committee reviewed the organisation's existing challenges of debts, delayed payments and expenditure, and also heard concerns of employees unions. The committee members also included Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, Senator Khalida Ateeb, and Senator Husna Bano. During the briefing, Mahni also told the committee that that PSM owed Rs89 billions to the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as most of the loan was being provided by the NBP for expenditure including salaries of the company's 934 current employees. Moreover, the committee was informed by PSM officials that two plans were being simultaneously considered by government, one of them was to seek revival of the PSM through Russian Industrial Engineering LLC which will use arch furnace and blast furnace to revive the mill while the other plan seeks to liquidate the PSM after hiring the evaluating firm. Senate panel told: PSM sell-off halted after 3 Chinese cos withdrew EoIs The committee also met with the worker union representatives, who apprised the committee about the hardships of retrenched and current employees of the PSM. The committee formed a sub committee to review the reservations of the employees and held talks with management for their grievances. The Senate standing committee appreciated the efforts of current management to reduce the expenditure of the PSM. However, the committee showed displeasure over frequent thefts in the PSM and directed the authorities to evaluate the losses due to theft. Moreover, it also suggested speeding up the process of liquidating moveable assets being no longer in working condition or have aged their life. The committee was told about arbitrary allotment of PSM land by the Sindh government in past few years, the committee expressed reservations on allotment of PSM's undisputed and entitled land of 1370 acres and 400 acres to the Goths by the Sindh government and desired that such allotment cases should be referred to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). The committee also toured different plants of the PSM and suggested that government should speed up the fate of steel mills.
