A recent report highlights a significant increase in online abuse cases involving minors across Pakistan in 2025, alongside a continued rise in cyber harassment complaints and ongoing obstacles to accessing justice.
The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) disclosed that its helpline received 3,012 new complaints during the year, in addition to 776 follow-up cases, including 2,586 incidents of cyber harassment. Since its inception in 2016, the helpline has managed a total of 23,032 cases.
Notably, cases involving minors surged by 28 percent to reach 159 in 2025, following a 51 percent increase the previous year. The report emphasized the particular dangers faced by younger children, such as online grooming and exploitation, although these cases represent a smaller portion of the overall complaints.
Adults aged between 18 and 30 constituted 51.3 percent of complainants. Women reported 1,709 cases, surpassing the 1,279 cases reported by men. Women were more frequently victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse, blackmail, and sextortion, while men reported higher instances of financial fraud.
Geographically, Punjab accounted for 69.5 percent of the reported cases. Lower reporting rates in regions like Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan pointed to gaps in awareness and access to reporting mechanisms.
Meanwhile, the helpline also noted a 20 percent increase in international complaints, with 75 cases coming from 30 different countries.
In a significant development, the DRF identified generative artificial intelligence as an emerging threat, particularly impacting women and children. DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad warned, “We are entering a phase where AI is scaling harm at speed.”
The report further revealed that messaging and social media platforms remain central to online abuse, with WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram responsible for 53 percent of cases. WhatsApp alone accounted for 34 percent, underscoring risks related to encrypted communication and features that hinder evidence collection.
Despite 79 percent of cyber harassment cases being referred to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, access to justice remains limited. The DRF pointed out that only about half of the complaints originated from cities with operational cybercrime offices.
To address these challenges, the organisation expanded its legal support in 2025, assisting 143 cases and providing ongoing support to numerous survivors through court and administrative processes.
DRF has called for enhanced law enforcement capabilities, stronger protections for minors, and improved regulation and moderation by technology platforms to better combat online abuse.
