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PAKISTAN PERSPECTIVE
FRANCE BANS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR UNDER-15S, A FIRST IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad is gauging the gap between France's firm stance and its own legislative shortcomings, following two unsuccessful attempts to impose a similar restriction on Pakistani minors.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, July 22, 2026. As the French Parliament passes, with 243 votes to two in the Senate, a law banning social media for those under 15, Pakistani media sees less of an exotic model and more of a reflection of its own roadblocks. The Express Tribune dedicates a lengthy article to the issue: "Pakistan can enforce age ban?" The daily recalls that a resolution has been tabled in the Punjab Assembly, moved by Sarah Ahmad, chair of the Child Protection Bureau, calling for a federal age verification system managed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. The problem identified by the newspaper itself is that telecommunications fall under the federal domain, making this provincial resolution purely advisory. Pakistan has tried before, though. In July 2025, the Senate had introduced the Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill, but no binding text has emerged from it to date, either in the Senate or in court. On the French dossier, Dawn outlines the timeline set by Paris: blocking new account creations starting September 1, and extending to existing accounts from January 2027. Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff is quoted as saying that "age verification tools already exist" and that the burden lies with the platforms. ARY News, citing AFP, puts the French measure into a global movement: twenty countries have proposed or adopted similar restrictions, including five already in effect - Australia (under 16 since December 2025), Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and China. The European Commission is preparing a total ban for those under 13 across the 27 member states. For Pakistani media, the contrast is striking: whereas France has a firm implementation timeline backed by Macron's executive, Pakistan remains mired in non-binding provincial resolutions, despite shared concerns over cyberbullying and excessive screen time for minors.
KEY POINTS
- Pakistan's government is closely watching the legislative developments in other countries, such as France, where the French Senate approved a text with 243 votes in favor and two against, ahead of its expected adoption by the National Assembly
- The Punjab Assembly has passed a resolution calling for federal age verification through the PTA, but it remains non-binding due to a lack of provincial authority, a situation that Pakistan's authorities are working to address
- Pakistan has already attempted to introduce legislation through the Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill in the Senate in July 2025, but so far, no text has been adopted
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
A comparative framework between France and Pakistan: Pakistan's government uses the French law as a benchmark to assess its own legislative progress
Preference for institutional sources (Senate, Punjab Assembly, PTA) over associative voices or young users' opinions in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad
Limited coverage of age verification technical issues raised by the French side (tools, data protection), treated as secondary in Pakistan's national viewpoint
SOURCES (3)
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