HRCP Strongly Opposes the Proposed Social Media Ban

In recent times, there have been talks in the upper house of the parliament regarding a blanket ban on all social media platforms in Pakistan. In response, the general public has denounced such authoritarian plans. Simultaneously, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) vehemently opposed the proposed Senate resolution regarding the social media ban. The commission warned Senate members that such “ill-judged measures that violate people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression” strictly oppose democratic norms.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Senate is going to discuss a resolution today moved by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi of the PPP, calling for a blanket ban on some social media platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Moreover, the resolution claims that social platforms are negatively affecting the youth of the country as they are being used to promote norms that are against religion and culture. “[The platforms are also] creating hatred among the people on the grounds of language and religion,” it said.

The resolution also “noted with concern” the exploitation of such social platforms for spreading negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan. “Such platforms are being used for vested interests for spreading fake news about various issues and to create and promote fake leadership in the country to hoodwink the young generation.”

However, HRCP, while terming the resolution nonsensical, said,

“With social media platform X having been shut down since February 17, it is ironic to see that political parties, state institutions, government representatives, and legislators—including Senator Bahramand Tangi—continue to use X using virtual private networks (VPNs).”

The commission said that access to social media has empowered ordinary citizens to exchange information, lobby for their rights and freedoms, hold duty bearers accountable, earn livelihoods, and mobilize around social and political causes. “Any attempt to curb digital freedoms wholesale betrays a shocking ignorance of how modern democracies and economies function.”

Furthermore, HRCP criticized the fact that successive governments have repeatedly and arbitrarily shut down social media for “security concerns” even before the recent elections, adding that there is no evidence that such steps have made the country any safer.

“If indeed the Senate is concerned about the future of this country’s youth, its efforts would be better served to tackle such issues as youth unemployment, access to education, and rampant misogyny rather than acting as an outmoded ‘thought-police’.”

“Where social media is to be regulated to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence against women and religious, ethnic, and gender minorities, this must be narrowly tailored, enforced with transparency, and designed with civil society consensus.”

Moreover, it added that giving the state a free hand to regulate social media is useless because it has always seen this as an opportunity for rivals and critics.

“The HRCP calls on civil society and digital rights activists to mobilize against all efforts to impose such arbitrary curbs, including reports of a ban on all VPNs, and demands that X be restored immediately.”​