Internet freedom

There is no end to the limitations placed on the Pakistani people, be it through ease of traditional practice, classist, bureaucratic and preferential systems, or a whole slew of other restrictions if you are a woman in this country. No different is the reality on cyberspace, which is used the world over as a medium to exercise freedom of expression. A report by a Washington DC firm, Freedom House, entitled Freedom on the Net 2016 ranked Pakistan in the bottom 10 countries for Internet freedom, based on obstacles to access, violations of user rights and limits to content. It also categorised Pakistan in the “not free” group of countries for Internet freedom. While only 18 per cent of the population is virtually connected, the expansion of Internet connectivity via 3G and 4G will mean more citizens subject themselves to yet more restrictions placed on them by the Government of Pakistan.

Disconcertingly, Pakistan beats out only a few countries on the ranking, some of which are communist, such as China, and ultra-conservative, such as Saudi Arabia. Ad hoc policies might be to blame; the government likes to exert prowess on media that it perceives as an insult to its institutions. Internet censorship is heavy and nonsensical at times, such as a nearly four-year blanket ban on YouTube for the existence of one video that was found offensive. If found unconstitutional, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority can proceed to internally blocking certain content. However, a ubiquitous ban is unreasonable, as Internet content offers viewpoints and exposure that can help our naive population to broaden its perspectives, which is not to say they should accept those alternative viewpoints. The Internet is an educational tool and must not be so restrictive, which can lead minds to develop biased world concepts. With the new Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, government surveillance is set to increase with potential violations of user privacy, which is most inopportune in a country that already exercises several forms of oppression towards its people.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2016.

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