PTA tells court it lacks power to ban minors social media
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority submitted a detailed reply before the Islamabad High Court on Thursday regarding a petition to restrict social media use for children under 16.
Authority limits explained by regulator
Officials stated that no current law allows them to enforce an age verification system. The agency noted its ability to block illegal content is temporary and limited in scope. They argued a new legal framework is required to address online threats effectively.
New body handles cyber complaints
A Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority is being set up under the PECA Amendment 2025. This upcoming group will manage complaints about illegal content and forgery soon. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency now leads action against immoral online material.
Millions of links reviewed so far
The regulator has examined more than 1.789 million illegal online links since the process began. Over 1.577 million URLs were blocked for violations during this review period. These figures come from the official reply filed with the court.
2 outlets, different leads
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Associated Press of Pakistan
PTA submits detailed reply on banning social media use by children under 16
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Dawn
PTA says it lacks authority to impose mandatory age verification or restrict social media access for minors
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2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.