A coalition consisting of social media giants, Google, Facebook, Twitter (and others) have spoken up against the new set of regulations imposed by the Pakistan government expecting companies to abide by the same. The social media companies have warned the Pakistani government against the suspension of services from the region if the new set of rules are not revised.
New social media rules by Pak govt
Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf government announced a new set of rules to regulate social media activity and has given all digital companies and social media platforms three months to adhere to the new set of regulations.
The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) comprises of leading tech companies to include Google, Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, Airbnb, Booking.com, Apple, Expedia Group, LinkedIn, Rakuten, Yahoo, and others is an industry association that promotes the understanding and resolution of internet policy issues in the Asia Pacific region.
The new set of regulations makes it compulsory for social media companies to open offices in Islamabad, build data servers to store information and takedown content upon identification by authorities.
These new sets of regulations imposed by the Pakistan government are making international tech giants and social media companies re-evaluate their view of the regulatory environment in the region and their willingness to operate in the country.
AIC retaliates, asks for revision of social media rules
Referring to the rules as "vague and arbitrary in nature", the AIC said that it was forced upon them to go against established norms of user privacy and freedom of expression. Expressing resentment over the new set of rules, AIC said that the government had not taken into confidence stakeholders before introducing them.
A letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this month stated that the AIC has called on the Pakistan government to revise the new sets of rules and regulations for social media companies in the region. It stated, "The rules as currently written would make it extremely difficult for AIC members to make their services available to Pakistani users and businesses."
The AIC also said, "We are not against regulation of social media, and we acknowledge that Pakistan already has an extensive legislative framework governing online content. However, these rules fail to address crucial issues such as internationally recognized rights to individual expression and privacy."
As per the law, authorities will be able to take action against Pakistanis found guilty of targeting state institutions at home and abroad on social media. Further, it would help the law enforcement authorities obtain access to data of accounts found involved in suspicious activities.
Under the new rules, social media companies will be obliged to disclose any information or data to a designated investigation agency, when sought. Failure to abide by any of the provisions will entail a fine of up to Rs 500 million (Pakistan currency).
