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March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Police in Dadu, in the province of Sindh, have filed formal First Information Reports (FIRs) against over 34 Pakistani social media users for “spreading false information with the wrong use of social media” as per a statement by the Dadu police force. According to the police, the suspects were accused of sharing false rumours and news pertaining to bomb blasts. The FIRs were registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which lists sharing fake news as being a criminal action as per Section 20. The Dadu Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been written to as well, to request further action.

January 22, 2025 - Comments Off on PML-N, PPP Agree On PECA Amendments

PML-N, PPP Agree On PECA Amendments

Two of Pakistan’s ruling parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have come together on amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), despite disagreements especially with regards to social media control – a controversial point of contention and penalties. As per proposed legislation under this agreement, social media usage will be regulated via a new government authority to be established.

 

The new authority will have the responsibility of determining what constitutes disinformation or “fake news”, and will have the power to impose penalties for disseminating disinformation – a maximum of three years in prison, and fines. The length of the sentence was one of the key points that the PPP and PML-N strongly disagreed upon, as the latter had originally proposed sentence of ten years. The new authority will have powers similar to, according to ARY News, “the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).”

December 18, 2024 - Comments Off on DRF highlights disinformation on platforms during 2024 elections in new report

DRF highlights disinformation on platforms during 2024 elections in new report

Digital Rights Foundation has released its latest report, “Platforms At The Polls”, examining social media’s role during Pakistan’s 2024 General Elections. The report focuses on TikTok, Facebook/Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), analysing political ad spending and harmful content from November 2023 to March 2024.

 

Political parties spent a collective PKR 54 million on Meta platforms, with PTI leading at PKR 25 million. However, transparency around ad spending was limited to Meta, as other platforms offered no details on this subject. The report also documented 225 instances of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and disinformation, with PML-N targeted in 76 gendered disinformation posts, followed by PTI (61) and PPP (19).

 

The report found that the platforms reviewed failed to adequately enforce content moderation. DRF urges tech companies to prioritise fair practices globally, especially outside the Global North, to combat disinformation and promote electoral integrity.

 

The full report is available to read at https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Platforms-at-the-Polls.pdf.

December 13, 2024 - Comments Off on Senate passes Digital Forensics Agency Bill

Senate passes Digital Forensics Agency Bill

Pakistan’s Senate (upper house) unanimously approved the passage of the “National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024” paving the way for the creation of an independent forensic agency (NFA) at the national level. The NFA will upgrade existing capabilities of conventional forensics labs across Pakistan. Furthermore, NFA will set up a digital forensics lab to provide services to governments across Pakistan. Furthermore, NFA will integrate “digital and cyber forensics to combat crimes involving electronic devices, deepfakes, and other electronic offences.” The Bill must now be approved by the National Assembly (lower house) before it can become an Act. Proposed by the government earlier this month, the soon to be established National Forensics Agency (NFA) comes as part of a muscular legislative and political push over the course of this  year by the Pakistan government, in what it has framed as its war on “fake news”, or disinformation and misinformation.

December 8, 2024 - Comments Off on Online smear campaigns against journalists

Online smear campaigns against journalists

In a continuation and worsening of the dangers for journalism in Pakistan, a number of social media accounts across various platforms have been involved in spreading “fake news”, and trolling and harassing senior journalists such as Talat Hussain, Muneeb Farooq, Hassan Ayub and Syed Muzammil Shah.

A video by the journalist Talat Hussain, discussing the sectarian attacks on Shia Muslims in the district of Kurram, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which resulted in more than 130 deaths, was selectively edited to misrepresenting his statements, to make it appear that he was speaking about the controversy over the number of PTI protestors that died in the November 24-27 protest march on Islamabad.

Armed men broke into the home of journalist and vlogger Syed Muzammil Shah, threatening him and his family with shots fired into the air. Rather than this invasion of Shah’s home and danger to his family being unanimously condemned, a number of social media accounts appeared to consider it “retribution” for his reporting on the November 24-27 PTI Islamabad protest.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned these online smear campaigns against senior journalists and TV anchors. Claiming that many of the accounts in these campaigns belong to PTI supporters, the PFUJ has requested that the PTI leadership respect freedom of speech and tolerate criticism.