What Changes Lie Ahead? Govt to form PTA Like Body to Regulate Online Media

The democratic norms in Pakistan are derailing day by day. The rule of law isn’t being enforced at the optimal level and the incumbent government is taking steps to further demoralize the democracy. One such example is the enactment of a contempt of parliament bill. In another move, the government of Pakistan plans to create a PTA-like body to supervise online media. After gaining control over all electronic media through PEMRA, the government plans to create a new PTA-like body to supervise online media.

For a long time, critics have been arguing that PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) has been used as a tool to exploit and blackmail media and silence critical voices. The new move planned by the authorities may move in the same direction with the main aim of getting control of online news websites specifically mainstream media news channels and leading newspapers.

The new organization will be called the E-Safety Authority with the primary purpose of monitoring online media and combating cybercrime and fake news. Furthermore, the new authority will have the power to levy penalties for violations and provide licenses to web channels.

It is pertinent to mention here that this new body will replace the current web monitoring authority of the PTA. The motive behind the creation of this new body is that the existing legislations, such as PECA, were regarded as incomplete to address the challenges imposed by the ever-evolving online landscape.  Moreover, the body will be responsible for registering websites, web channels, and YouTube channels.

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