New Delhi: Google, Facebook and Twitter have threatened to withdraw their services from Pakistan, after the country’s government introduced new censorship laws last month, reports PTI.
Under the Citizen’s Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020, social media activity will be regulated and the companies will be obligated to share information and data with an investigative agency, when asked for it.
The Imran Khan-led government had given all digital and social media companies three months to adopt this rule.
However, on February 15, the Asia Internet Collective, comprised of Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, Apple and other Internet giants, registered their protest in a letter and urged the government to revise the rules.
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“The rules currently written would make it extremely difficult for AIC members to make their services available to Pakistani users and businesses,” read the letter.
AIC termed the new regulations as “vague and arbitrary in nature” and also accused the government of not taking all the stakeholders into account before approving the new rules.
They also raised concerns about the manner in which the rules were passed by the government. The new rules were passed by the Cabinet without being brought up for discussion in the Parliament.
“The way they [the rules] were passed was causing international companies to reevaluate their view of the regulatory environment in Pakistan and their willingness to operate in the country,” notes PTI.
The companies also registered their concern for internet freedom in Pakistan.
“We are not against regulation of social media, and we acknowledge that Pakistan already has an extensive legislative framework governing online content. However, these rules fail to address crucial issues such as internationally recognized rights to individual expression and privacy,” the AIC added.
In response, Pakistan’s Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood said Tuesday that the bill was not finalised yet and meetings were being held for revisions to it.
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