Several technology companies have threatened to leave Pakistan the day after social media rules were enacted. The companies say that if they are controlled, it will be difficult for them to operate in Pakistan. This information was given in a report of Dawn Online of Pakistan.
The title of the Pakistani rule is ‘Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules 2020’. It was enacted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) of Pakistan.
In a statement to Dawn on Thursday, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) expressed concern about new laws targeting Internet companies and the government’s transparency.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to take board-based advice on content control. He made the pledge in the face of criticism from various organizations during the issuance of the Citizen Protection Rule 2020 on harmful content online. But the Internet Coalition regrets that the government did not keep that promise.
Under the new rules, social media companies must provide information to the relevant investigating agency and that information must be readable and comprehensible. This includes subscriber information, reader or visitor information, content information, or any other information.
In response to the government’s new rules, the AIC said that if Pakistan wanted to invest in attractive technologies and achieve the goal of digital transformation, it would have to work with the industry in practice as well as dismantle the Internet.
