Islamabad: Platforms where Pakistani children watch videos, play games and exchange messages can also expose them to manipulation and exploitation, according to a Kaspersky review highlighting online grooming and emerging risks from artificial intelligence.
The company’s findings cover children’s digital activity during the first eight months of 2026. YouTube led its reported mobile app rankings in Pakistan at 31.2 percent, followed by Instagram at 18.8 percent and WhatsApp at 17.4 percent. Facebook accounted for 10.8 percent and TikTok for 5.7 percent.
The Dawn report did not explain the sample size or how those percentages were calculated. They should therefore not be read as the proportion of all Pakistani children using each app.
Multiplayer games featured among the most visited online resources. Roblox and the communication platform Discord were also identified among resources accessed on computers.
The risk, experts said, extends beyond the content children encounter. Direct messaging can bring them into contact with strangers who gradually gain their trust, request personal images or arrange meetings.
Material shared during those interactions may subsequently be used for blackmail. The report identified this process, known as online grooming, alongside phishing as a key threat.
Generative AI adds another concern: publicly shared photographs and videos can be manipulated into fabricated material and used for cyberbullying, harming a child’s privacy and reputation.
Kaspersky’s child safety specialist Andrey Sidenko urged parents to encourage children to disclose uncomfortable encounters and avoid sharing sensitive information or keeping online conversations secret.
The company also recommended discussing fraud and bullying, developing careful sharing habits and using parental controls.
The findings highlight risks within ordinary online activities, rather than establishing that every interaction is dangerous. The practical response centres on helping children recognise manipulation and know which trusted adult they can approach when something goes wrong.
