The government has decided to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act of 2016 (PECA) to combat the spread of false information and propaganda, and pertinent legislation is being researched for this.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Ministry of Information Technology (MIT) have all provided assistance to the committee that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established last year under the leadership of Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of Law and Justice. The committee is now close to finishing its work.
All available tools will be used to check for false news that attempts to harm the reputation and image of a certain individual, group of people, organization, or other entity. According to reports, social media guidelines will be changed to strengthen the PTA and FIA's ability to weed out bogus news. Additionally, an "e-safety law" is being established to safeguard official portals. Additionally, a new provision will probably be added to PECA to give the relevant authorities the authority to take strict action so that offenders are penalized for their infractions.
The PTA officials believe that PECA (2016) does not offer enough support to take action against people who are disseminating false information. There is a belief that the FIA is powerless as a consequence in nearly all cases where false news was identified and action was sought, they said.
There have been several accusations in recent months that a group of people are actively working to harm the image of specific organizations and individuals. Even though the complaints were believed to be true, the authorities were powerless to stop the offenders, the officials said.
The PTA officials said that in order to be held accountable for the material on their websites, social media corporations would have to operate out of Pakistan or establish offices there. If companies do nothing, complaints may result in their platforms being blocked or objectionable information being deleted.
Before the National Assembly's mandate expires and the present government's term ends, the bill will probably be completed. According to further sources, if there is a problem, the legislation may be changed into an ordinance that the caretaker government would issue even after the current government has ended.
It is pertinent to mention here that since the country’s founding in 1947, Pakistan has had a lengthy history of controversial laws.
It has been seen in the past that PECA has been abused to allegedly register fake cases against workers of political parties as a tool for silencing opposition. Furthermore, sections in PECA violate international human rights norms such as the right to privacy and due process. Section 37 of the PECA, for example, permits the government to prohibit access to any internet content it deems undesirable with no judicial review. This provision violates the right to freedom of expression and information, as well as the principle of proportionality.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Ministry of Information Technology (MIT) have all provided assistance to the committee that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established last year under the leadership of Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister of Law and Justice. The committee is now close to finishing its work.
All available tools will be used to check for false news that attempts to harm the reputation and image of a certain individual, group of people, organization, or other entity. According to reports, social media guidelines will be changed to strengthen the PTA and FIA's ability to weed out bogus news. Additionally, an "e-safety law" is being established to safeguard official portals. Additionally, a new provision will probably be added to PECA to give the relevant authorities the authority to take strict action so that offenders are penalized for their infractions.
The PTA officials believe that PECA (2016) does not offer enough support to take action against people who are disseminating false information. There is a belief that the FIA is powerless as a consequence in nearly all cases where false news was identified and action was sought, they said.
There have been several accusations in recent months that a group of people are actively working to harm the image of specific organizations and individuals. Even though the complaints were believed to be true, the authorities were powerless to stop the offenders, the officials said.
The PTA officials said that in order to be held accountable for the material on their websites, social media corporations would have to operate out of Pakistan or establish offices there. If companies do nothing, complaints may result in their platforms being blocked or objectionable information being deleted.
Before the National Assembly's mandate expires and the present government's term ends, the bill will probably be completed. According to further sources, if there is a problem, the legislation may be changed into an ordinance that the caretaker government would issue even after the current government has ended.
It is pertinent to mention here that since the country’s founding in 1947, Pakistan has had a lengthy history of controversial laws.
It has been seen in the past that PECA has been abused to allegedly register fake cases against workers of political parties as a tool for silencing opposition. Furthermore, sections in PECA violate international human rights norms such as the right to privacy and due process. Section 37 of the PECA, for example, permits the government to prohibit access to any internet content it deems undesirable with no judicial review. This provision violates the right to freedom of expression and information, as well as the principle of proportionality.