Archives for August 2025

August 7, 2025 - Comments Off on Punishment sought for cyber offenses at National Assembly convening 

Punishment sought for cyber offenses at National Assembly convening 

At the recent convening on Wednesday, the National Assembly (NA) urged state officials to enact strict punishments for cyber offenses that promulgate tech-facilitated gender-based violence including unauthorized video recordings, dissemination of private pictures and digital defamation. A resolution brought forward by PML-N, and adopted unanimously, called such acts unconstitutional and a breach of privacy, especially for women who already face a climate of fear and insecurity. 

August 6, 2025 - Comments Off on Report finds X policies to cause spike in anti-Muslim, anti-migrant content

Report finds X policies to cause spike in anti-Muslim, anti-migrant content

Following last year’s deadly terrorist attack in Southport, United Kingdom, Amnesty International has uncovered how policy and design at X has played a large part in allowing and encouraging racist and hate-driven narratives against Muslims and migrants in the country. In their technical analysis, researchers found that content-ranking algorithms embedded in the platforms open source code, “systematically prioritise" content that incites hate, conflict, and drives reactions and engagement. With little to no safeguards in place, this creates a breeding ground for X users to spread false claims, exchange hateful speech and carry out blatant online harassment. 

August 5, 2025 - Comments Off on Warning issued by PTA against illegal content sharing 

Warning issued by PTA against illegal content sharing 

Social media users were issued a public service announcement by the Pakistan telecommunication Authority (PTA) warning them against sharing illegal content. While acknowledging citizen's freedom to express themselves, the official announcement prohibited users from making, sharing or engaging with unlawful content. The term “unlawful content” was further explained to be anything that can be categorised as blasphemous, anti-state, anti-defense, immoral, and fake.  

August 5, 2025 - Comments Off on PFUJ condemns freedom of expression crackdown 

PFUJ condemns freedom of expression crackdown 

At its 75th anniversary meeting, representatives from the Pakistan Federation Union of Journalists (PFUJ) issued a declaration condemning the government’s "escalating crackdown” on freedom of expression and media independence. The PFUJ president asked for a complete withdrawal of PECA amendments and other unconstitutional bills. The amendments, made in the beginning of 2025, are termed “unjustified, anti-media, and reflective of an authoritarian mindset,” by the PFUJ council.    

August 5, 2025 - Comments Off on STEM feed launched on Tiktok Pakistan 

STEM feed launched on Tiktok Pakistan 

In partnership with the Ministry of Information and Technology and Telecommunications, renowned social media platform TikTok officially announced and launched a new feed in its platform dedicated to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The update provides users with an in-app experience where they can explore, create and reshare curated content specific to STEM and is specifically designed to promote curiosity, learning and critical thinking. TikTok hopes to nurture inclusive content across provinces, cultures and languages in Pakistan and further plans to partner with higher education institutes to launch training programmes for educators. 

August 4, 2025 - Comments Off on Suspects in viral video case arrested by Mardan police

Suspects in viral video case arrested by Mardan police

After taking notice of a viral video on social media, Mardan police arrested four suspected individuals for harassing a teenage girl. The video, made viral on TikTok, showed a young teenage girl being harassed by men at a private event in the KPK city. Prominent figures such as journalist Asad Ali Toor and urged provincial authorities to take swift action against the perpetrators.

August 4, 2025 - Comments Off on Safe City Project installs surveillance cameras across Rawalpindi

Safe City Project installs surveillance cameras across Rawalpindi

Under the Safe City Project, the government has planned to install over 2,000 high-resolution security cameras in Rawalpindi across 359 locations. With claims made by the government about the usefulness of such cameras for monitoring traffic, public spaces and real-time incident reporting, the Safe City Project was started in Punjab to boost public safety. So far, 1,700 cameras have been installed in the city in market places, major road crossings and entry and exit points of Rawalpindi.