Legal definitions
In many laws in Pakistan, a child is defined as a person younger than 18 years old. The legal age of consent for sexual activity is not explicitly defined but may be inferred to be 16 years old.
Child sexual exploitation, sexually explicit conduct, child sexual abuse, child pornography or CSAM, computer-generated images or videos of CSAM, enticement or grooming, and sextortion are clearly and comprehensively defined in Pakistani law.
Regulatory requirements/recommendations
There are no specific laws requiring online platforms to review, screen, or detect child pornography or CSAM, but there are laws requiring online platforms to remove CSAM content when discovered. Online platforms are not obligated to report CSAM to any specific organization. Similarly, online platforms are not required to use human moderators or any specific software to review or screen content, but it is considered best practice to use available software to ensure CSAM or similar content is blocked.
Age verification requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to implement any method of age verification before a user can access their services.
Parental consent requirements/recommendations
Online platforms are not required to obtain parental consent before allowing a child to access their services.
Legal remedies for child victims
Online platforms are subject to orders issued by qualified authorities to stop the publishing of unlawful online content, including CSAM. Platforms must remove CSAM from their services according to their community guidelines, which also must meet certain requirements. Child victims may seek financial damages through a variety of applicable criminal laws. There is no law allowing victims to seek protective orders preventing a person who published CSAM from doing so in the future. Similarly, there are no laws concerning government-funded victim compensation or notifying a victim when an offender is arrested for conduct related to CSAM depicting the victim.
"Safety by Design" requirements
Online platforms are not required to incorporate Safety by Design into their systems, but there are certain requirements regarding what elements must be included in platforms’ community guidelines.