Pakistan to Introduce Comprehensive Social Media Laws

Pakistan to Introduce Comprehensive Social Media Laws

ISLAMABAD Pakistan’s opposition claimed Thursday that the government wants to limit freedom of speech after it announced sweeping controls on social media, which could include removing platforms and the possibility of putting users in prison for spreading misinformation.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, enacted by the National Assembly by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday, will establish an agency with the power to block “unlawful and offensive content” and block people and organizations from social media.
Social media platforms must join the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority. In the event of a failure to adhere to the law, they could be subject to suspensions for some time or permanently.
This law makes the spread of disinformation a crime that can be punished with three years’ imprisonment and the possibility of a fine of 2 million rupees ($7,150).

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The move comes one year after Pakistan shut down the X platform before an election that the opposition of former Prime Minister Imran Khan believes was fraudulent. X is banned in Pakistan. However, many users use VPNs to connect, similar to other countries with restricted internet access.
Khan has an enormous following on social media, particularly X, and supporters regularly post petitions for his release. Khan has been in prison since 2023 after he was convicted of fraud. Khan’s political party also uses social media to stage demonstrations.
The opposition leader opposed the bill as intended to limit the freedom of expression further. Omar Ayub Khan, who is not close to the former premier who was imprisoned, said the bill could “lay a foundation for the suppression of voices advocating for constitutional rights”.

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The new agency will be able to order the immediate removal of illegal content that targets judges, military and parliaments or provincial assemblies. The law also prohibits posting remarks from parliament that have been removed from public documents.
Pakistani media has come under increasing restrictions in recent times. Journalists have claimed they are subject to government pressure to avoid using Imran Khan’s name. In addition, television stations have been calling him the “founder of the PTI” party.
Human rights activists and the journalists’ union have pledged to fight the law; however, since the government holds the majority, its passing is virtually inevitable.
Afzal Butt, The president of the Federal Union of Journalists, declared that the law was a way to censor news media and social media, and journalists.
The government claims that the law is needed to stop the spread of misinformation.