Global Curbs on Children’s Social Media Use; Australia, Türkiye and China Lead

Pakistan Also Needs Urgent Legislation to Protect Children’s Mental and Physical Health: Experts

Islamabad/New York — July 13, 2026: The growing negative effects of social media on the moral upbringing and mental and physical health of young children have alarmed countries across the world.

According to the international news agency Reuters, the number of countries introducing strict regulations for online platforms is rising rapidly, while several governments have enacted emergency laws to protect children.

Reports by international broadcasters Sky News and TRT state that major countries and economies have taken the following significant measures to safeguard children from online threats:

Restrictions and Heavy Penalties Introduced in Different Countries

Australia — children under 16: Australia has imposed a complete ban on social media use by children under the age of 16. Social media companies that fail to block underage users could face heavy fines of up to $49.5 million.

China — Minor Mode programme: China’s cyberspace regulator has introduced the “Minor Mode” programme, under which strict device-level restrictions, specified usage periods and dedicated rules for applications have been enforced.

Indonesia — 70 million children affected: Considering the effects on the health and moral development of nearly 70 million children, Indonesia has prohibited people under the age of 16 from using social media.

Brazil — legal guardian required: Brazil has made it legally mandatory for social media accounts belonging to users under 16 to be linked with the account of their legal guardian or parent.

Türkiye — children under 15: According to prominent Turkish broadcaster TRT, Türkiye has restricted social media use for people under the age of 15 and made effective age verification mandatory at the time of login.

Experts’ Important Advice for Pakistan

Medical and psychological experts have welcomed the measures being introduced worldwide.

They said it was essential to curb the factors placing children’s health and future at risk. Pakistan must also introduce strict monitoring of children’s online activities and comprehensive legislation based on international models to ensure the protection of its young generation.