PTA Says It Lacks Power to Enforce Age Limits
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has informed the Islamabad High Court that it does not have the statutory authority to impose mandatory age verification or restrict social media access for minors under 16.
In a detailed report submitted to the court in response to a writ petition filed by Waqas Nasir, the PTA highlighted technical limitations and the shifting legal landscape under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025. It noted that the new Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA) will replace the PTA for regulating social media platforms once officially notified.
The PTA explained that major platforms such as Facebook, Google, and X operate as over‑the‑top services and are not licensed or registered in Pakistan, making direct regulation difficult. It also described how HTTPS encryption prevents selective blocking of content without disrupting entire sites.
Despite these challenges, the PTA reported processing over 17 million URLs, blocking approximately 88.20% of them, and cited awareness campaigns with UNICEF, TikTok, Meta, and the GSM Association to promote digital literacy and child online protection.
In its report, the PTA urged the court to dismiss the petition where it sought relief beyond the agency’s statutory mandate, emphasizing that its current duties do not include prescribing a minimum age for social media users.
