Google has committed $500,000 to a new digital safety programme in Pakistan, as debate grows over how to protect children from online risks and whether access to social media should be restricted.
The Digital Pasban initiative, launched on Thursday, 20 August, aims to reach 200,000 households with Urdu-languagedigital safety tools, instructional videos, parental workshops and AI safety resources.
The initiative focuses on practical online safety, including digital citizenship, parental awareness and tools to help families manage children’s online activities.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is also working with Google to encourage safer and more responsible digital use among children, parents, teachers and caregivers. The efforts include awareness materials in local languages and training through educational institutions.
The authority’s chairman said the regulator now receives around 500 complaints a day involving inappropriate or harmful online content, up from about 100 previously. He also said Google had addressed 88 per cent of complaints lodged by the regulator, according to figures provided by the authority.
Google says its earlier Digital Safar programme has trained more than 300,000 students and 5,000 educators in digital citizenship.
The initiative comes as Pakistan debates whether tighter social media restrictions should apply to children.
On 15 July, a resolution submitted to the Punjab Assembly called for federal legislation to restrict social media accounts for children under 16, with measures including age verification and parental consent. The proposal is neither a nationwide law nor an existing Punjab government ban.
The resolution reflects concerns over children’s exposure to harmful content and online risks.
The debate highlights two different approaches to protecting children online: restricting access or giving families stronger tools to manage it.
The issue extends well beyond Pakistan.
Australia introduced restrictions on social media accounts for under-16s in December 2025. Other governments are also considering age limits and tougher rules for online platforms as concerns grow over children’s exposure to harmful content and online risks.
Pakistan is therefore considering tighter restrictions while Google invests in digital literacy and family safety tools.
The safety initiative comes days after Google opened its first office in Pakistan, in Karachi, on 18 August, nearly four years after registering its presence in the country.
On Friday, 21 August, Pakistan and Google signed a separate memorandum of understanding on digital transformation. It includes a target of 150,000 Google Career Certificates in Pakistan in 2026, one year of free access to advanced AI tools for Pakistani students and cooperation on an AI Centre of Excellence in Islamabad.
Pakistan is grappling with two sides of the same digital challenge: expanding access to technology while protecting children from its risks. The country wants more people online, stronger digital skills and greater access to AI, while also considering tighter limits on how children use social media.
Google’s investment adds another option to the debate - whether safer digital habits and stronger parental tools can protect children without simply keeping them off social media platforms.
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