Senate IT Committee’s Troubling Stance on Free Speech, Call for Content Blocking
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology recently held a session discussing the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) role in regulating social media content during ongoing national challenges. The committee, which is mandated to ensure that no government policies are in conflict with the rights of the people, focused heavily on PTA’s efforts for content blocking deemed contrary to the government’s narrative.
The Chairperson of the committee raised questions about the steps PTA has taken to counter “negative propaganda” on social media against the state. The committee also inquired whether PTA had blocked any YouTube channels in this regard.
PTA Chairman responded that the authority has two options: either block the entire channel or block specific content. He added that PTA assesses complaints based on their nature and severity. No direct requests for blocking individual user accounts have been received by PTA. However, PTA receives about 300 content-blocking requests daily.
He also informed the committee that, to streamline complaint management, PTA has created a dedicated portal for government institutions. Over the past five months, more than 45,000 complaints have been registered with PTA. The majority of complaints are against Facebook (72%), TikTok (76%), and YouTube (over 90%).
Senator Kamran Murtaza urged social media companies to establish offices in Pakistan to better address local concerns. Previously, social media companies did not consider Pakistan a potential market, the Chairman remarked. However, when the state notices anti-state content, action is taken. The PTA Chairman also highlighted that social media companies generally do not remove political content, and even if PTA requests such removal, companies usually refuse. In cases of individual complaints, social media platforms respond directly to the users themselves.
Senate IT Committee Pushes for Content Blocking, Raising Concerns Over Freedom of Expression
The role of a parliamentary committee is to protect citizens’ rights and ensure transparent governance. However, in this case, the committee seemed to have switched sides. The Senate IT Committee’s insistence on blocking content that challenges the government’s narrative is a shocking display of censorship under the guise of combating propaganda.
The committee is mixing up public criticism and facts with harmful propaganda, which could set a dangerous example where only the government’s version of events is allowed online. This threatens free speech and weakens the healthy debate needed in any democratic society.
While the need to tackle genuinely harmful content and misinformation is valid, the current direction risks silencing opposition and narrowing public discourse to align solely with government positions. The committee’s stance may inadvertently harm Pakistan’s digital future by eroding trust in institutions meant to protect rights and freedoms.
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