Sacrilegious content: PTA issues notices to Google, Wikipedia

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued notices to Google Inc. and Wikipedia over disseminating sacrilegious content through the platforms.

The PTA has been receiving complaints regarding misleading search results associated with “Present Khalifa of Islam” and unauthentic version of the Holy Quran uploaded by Ahmadiyya Community on Google Play Store. Being a matter of very serious nature, the PTA has approached Google Inc with the directions to immediately remove the unlawful content.

The platform has been issued with the notice under Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguard) Rules 2020 (“Rules”) to remove the sacrilegious content to avoid any legal action by the regulator.

Complaints were also received regarding hosting of blasphemous sketches and dissemination of misleading, wrong, deceptive and deceitful information through articles published on Wikipedia portraying Mirza Masroor Ahmad as a Muslim. After extensive communication on the matter, Wikipedia has been finally served with the notice to remove the sacrilegious content to avoid any legal action. In case the platforms remain non-compliant, the PTA shall be constrained to initiate further action under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) and Rules 2020.