Censoring the internet

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) is back to haunt social media users. Under its new Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2020 a set of measures has been put in place regarding the regulation of social media and internet service providers (ISPs). From encouraging a blanket block of content that criticises the government or public servants, to using ‘obscenity’ or ‘decency’ or ‘morality’ as a justification to curtail content, to giving the PTA the right to clock the online system of any platform provided by ISPs, to encouraging encouraging monitoring by ISPs and social media companies, and finally to the rather bizarre demand that international social media companies with more than 500, 000 users register with the PTA and establish office in Pakistan – the rules seem bent on ensuring that the much-talked-of Digital Pakistan never really happens. Earlier this year, the Asia Internet Coalition had also said that such rules “would make it extremely difficult for AIC Members to make their services available to Pakistani users and businesses.”

In a country where information is tightly controlled and there are many formal curbs on the media, the relative freedom of social media gives a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard. Back when former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had backed the passage of the PECA bill in 2016, critics had warned that it would usher in a new era of clampdowns on free speech. And here we are now with rules that critics say are openly advocating for censorship. Digital rights activists say the rules are intended to block social media and prevent people from accessing content on them. The government's inability to control social media appears to have frustrated it for many months now. The state’s record in tolerating dissent is far from perfect and there is a genuine worry that any action it takes in the social media realm will be to consolidate its monopoly on information.

This sort of heavy hand of the state, which uses any and all excuses – morality, ethics, religion, 'decency', national security – will only lead us down a dangerous path of complete conformity and denial of any kind of dissenting thought. Must we as citizens of Pakistan wage a constant battle with a nanny state – just for our right to access to information, freedom to speak, write, sing our thoughts or criticize state policy?