Talha Sarawr Pakistani social media would now remain shaky’

’اب پاکستانی سوشل میڈیا سہما سہما رہے گا‘

Talha s/o Muhammad Sarwar

B.S Part III   20k18/MC/152

Translation Urdu to  English

‘Pakistani social media would now remain shaky’

The controversial cyber crime bill has been passed and in a few days it will turn into a law, but Organisations still have reservations to work for cyber rights. What are the key points after 55 Amendment that socialmedia

and online freedom of expression are considered about?

The PTA has an authority in cyber crime bill to block access to any content or website, because it is considered a crime.

Nighat Dad, who works as an NGO for cyber rights, says,” the bill does not give a useful explanation from the reasons given to criminalisation of any of the material and it is unclear, who will believe that this website falls into this category, hence it is not appropriate to give such absolute

authority to a single institution.” Nighat Dad says, “The examples and traditions, that PTA has given, are enough for us to be scared,” Shutting down youtube for three years and eventually issuing an order which states that millions of websites have been closed, because they were offensive to the mind. These decisions have put people’s confidence down in the institutions.

Nighat Dad is concerned that if internet companies, Facebook, Twitter and Google do not listen to her, they can block them from Pakistan just like youtube.

Lawyer Yasir Latif Hamdani says that it is not appropriate to hand over discretionary power to PTA.

He further says that the personal reviews and religious tendencies can influence  those people in institutions .

Any person’s website can be blocked, due to lack of definition of many words, and the PTA has been stepping forward before and now it has been a legal status.

Saving users data.

The cyber crime bill suggests internet providers to keep data secure for at least one year, so that authorities can collect any type of investigation.

Nighat Dad says, it is opposite to the fundamental rights to the privacy. It is not obvious, either the data will be from specific people, or from extremists and terrorists, or the information of every common citizen will be secured. It is not clear either, that is what legal action can be carried out against any person as being a Pakistani.

Cyber ​​stock, counterfeiting, spamming

The Cyber Crime Bill also makes strict penalties for sending unnecessary and wrong message or content to someone.

Yasir Latif Hamdani says, "In this unequivocal point, I may come to know an e-mail which I send to someone for the first time. If others do not respond and he can use it against me."

Because of cyber stalking, there is a threat of lack of explanation, anyone can come up with an accusation against of someone, so that he should keep an eye on it and the punishment lasts for more than one year.

According to cyber bill, you can not be allowed to post someone's picture on the internet.

Nighat Dad says, "It does not mention that the pictures of private or public places. Any person captures a picture of a protest, event, rally, or meeting in a public place, If people are captured in it, they should complain against the person who captured the picture and posted it on social media.

Nowadays selfies are very common on social media and many people appear in the background. It is a good thing to interfere people’s identity, if it was cleared.

According to Nighat Dad, spamming is the most annoying act for the consumer, that is considered illegal.

According to the Cyber ​​Crime Bill, those people who send fake messages, can be prisoned for three months and a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 million.

Nighat Dad says, “it also covers those people, who promote their small business, through mobile messaging, as it is inexpensive way for them”. It would be fraud, criminal and unnecessary.

Every part of the world, spamming is considered a crime, it is now crime in Pakistan too, according to this bill.

Strict punishments

Cyber ​​rights and social media activists also have complaints that punishments for small crimes have been made strict, that is how, an atmosphere of embarrassment will be created.

Yasir Latif Hamdani says, “Folks will now think a hundred times before they write or say anything on social media and this is against of democracy and the fundamental right.

According to him, the role of the judges is to listen these cases, which is very crucial . It is essential for them to be aware of cyber crime, so that they can enforce it to the appropriate way.

If judges do not act upon it, any law becomes worse.

Nighat Dad says,” people point at her objections, that which law is implemented in Pakistan first, which you are shouting about it.” but according to her, many things have been labelled a crime in these laws, hence they can be utilised against anyone at any time.

She is worried about common people in Pakistan, who are not well aware with this, so there is a risk of its misuse

"There is also a fear that people will use the law for their personal conflict . People will now enforce restrictions on themselves and will not be able to say, what they want to say.

Hate material and defame

According to Cyber crimes bill, it is a crime to publish material that can harm one’s reputation.

According to Nighat Dad, "People make hilariousness accounts on the internet, where sarcasm and jokes are made, but it is also considered a crime, if someone posts a cartoon referring to a person, because there is political motive behind it." Because these days it is common to make fun of politicians.

Related to hate speech, according to Yasir Latif, these such laws are being used against minorities in society.

Nighat Dad says, “The preparation of the anti-terrorism law has been mentioned in the bill. While daily debates are common on the internet, people criticise,and fight, they areevenabused.

Now the problem is, who will explain the crimes on the internet?

Although the authorities have mentioned it clearly that according to the bill, allegations of any crime will firstly investigated and then the case will be given to a court.

 While, because of the equivocalness regarding harsh punishments and crimes, internet users and human rights activists say that the environment of social media will be shaky after the 'self-censorship' of the people in Pakistan.