Just another day in Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and authorities’ obsession to control, regulate and suppress unwanted content.
Supreme Court of Pakistan mulls banning YouTube in Pakistan. The reason? Because they ‘regulate’ content on YouTube. The comments were passed by Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Mushir Alam during the hearing of a case.
Justice Qazi Amin commented, “We are not against freedom of expression. Public has a right to discuss our performance and decisions as we take salaries from public money. But constitution also provides us with a right to privacy. Our families are targeted on social media and YouTube.”
He then asked if PTA and FIA had taken notice of incidents where judges were mocked and embarrassed. To this, a PTA official present in the court told that PTA can only report the objectionable content but cannot remove it.
Hearing that, Supreme Court judge Justice Mushir Alam said that YouTube is banned in many countries. He then went on to say whether anyone would dare to post such content about the United States or European Union. Clearly the honorable judge does not watch much YouTube.
But does that justify a ban on YouTube in Pakistan? Just because you cannot ‘regulate’ content and users allegedly ‘mock’ you?
A Twitter sums up the problem…
what is painfully obvious is that the boomers running pakistan don’t have the slightest clue about how the digital world operates. banning smth like youtube disconnects you from participating in global culture, severely impacts all aspects of the digital economy…
— Ahmer Naqvi (@karachikhatmal) July 22, 2020
Pakistan is on a banning spree
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) banned the popular video game PUBG for… being too popular. Today it also blocked BIGO – a video live streaming platform for not being able to block ‘vulgar’ content.
Banning social media websites and services is not new to Pakistan. Previously, YouTube was banned for 3 years because it could not take down videos containing blasphemous content. Now the courts, regulatory authorities, and Government – all are after the social media networks because they cannot regulate them.
Final Warning to Tik Tok
A ‘final warning’ was also issued to Tik Tok to moderate content to keep it within ‘legal and moral limits’. According to PTA notice, the content on BIGO and Tik Tok includes ‘immoral, obscene and vulgar’.
Welcome to “Digital Pakistan”
PUBG – Banned
BIGO – Banned
YouTube – To be banned soon?
Tik Tok – Issued a warning
And GoOglEs sHouLd OpEn OffiCEs in Pakistan.
Also.. WhY PayPal NoT comEs tO Pakistan?
