{"id":70823,"date":"2024-03-13T15:59:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T15:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/civil-society-organisations-criticise-continued-disruption-of-social-media-platforms-across-country\/"},"modified":"2024-03-13T15:59:50","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T15:59:50","slug":"civil-society-organisations-criticise-continued-disruption-of-social-media-platforms-across-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/civil-society-organisations-criticise-continued-disruption-of-social-media-platforms-across-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil society organisations criticise continued disruption of social media platforms across country"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Civil society organisations on Wednesday hit out at the continued disruption of social media platforms and network shutdowns across the country, demanding that the clampdown be immediately lifted.<\/p>\n

Access to X has been disrupted in many areas of Pakistan since February 17<\/a>, when former Rawal\u00adpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan of being involved in rigging the February 8 general elections.<\/p>\n

Similar disruptions were also observed during the general elections.<\/p>\n

A group of human rights activists and civil society organisations issued a statement<\/a> today, and expressed \u201cprofound concern over the increasing instances\u201d of internet shutdowns and social media platform
\nblocking, saying that such actions not only infringed upon fundamental rights of freedom of expression and access to information but also set a \u201ctroubling precedent of throttling genuine political discourse, including plurality of voices in the country\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arbitrary blocking of platforms, including the prolonged and unannounced disruption of \u2018X\u2019 (formerly known as Twitter), is a sobering illustration of growing digital censorship in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch actions not only silence diverse political voices but also create an environment which contributes to the spread of misinformation. Today, digital platforms play a pivotal role in shaping public discourse, and ensuring the free flow of information, through these digital mediums, is
\nimperative for an informed society and fair electoral processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe suppression of digital platforms, especially when initiated without transparency, often lacks adherence to due legal process and thus, undermines Pakistan\u2019s international law commitments,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n

It also criticised the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for its inaction over the matter, saying the authority\u2019s complete silence was \u201cextremely alarming\u201d as it had \u201cfailed to furnish any reasons for its actions and exceeded its mandate to block an entire internet platform\u201d.<\/p>\n

The statement said the absence of transparency in the decision-making processes surrounding network shutdowns and platform blocking, and the \u201ccomplete disregard for any accountability\u201d had resulted in an \u201cobvious erosion of trust between the state and its citizens\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also dismayed by reports of throttling of VPNs (virtual private networks), undermining people\u2019s access to information and right to privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The civil society collective called on the government to take immediate action to \u201creverse the course of digital censorship\u201d in the country such as the following steps:<\/p>\n