Lawmakers in Indiana and Pakistan Seek Social Media Limits

Lawmakers in two separate jurisdictions are pursuing legislative actions to restrict minors' unsupervised access to social media. In Indiana, the Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 199, which would ban children under 14 from holding social media accounts and establish an overnight curfew from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless parents modify the settings. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 159 to limit device usage during school instructional time.

In Pakistan, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, characterized the lack of monitoring for minors on digital platforms as a national concern. Following an attention notice from Senator Falak Naz, who advocated for mandatory age verification and restrictions on TikTok and Instagram for users under 18, Presiding Officer Sherry Rehman proposed forming a special committee. This committee would include representatives from the ministries of information technology, interior, education, and law, as well as provincial governments.

While Senator Naz cited Australian restrictions for children under 16 as a model, Senator Rehman opposed blanket bans, arguing for a balanced approach that maintains the educational value of these platforms. Minister Chaudhry noted that the initiative would require coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency to ensure proper safeguards.