Enforced disappearances threat to internet freedoms

Rights body says climate of fear, self-censorship has been built

ISLAMABAD: Nearly two weeks after Lahore-based blogger Riaz Khan went missing, a digital rights group has expressed concern over the emerging threats to the Internet landscape in the country.

This was disclosed in Internet Landscape of Pakistan, by Bytes for All (B4A) — a human rights organisation and a network of information and communication technology professionals and practitioners.

The third annual edition of the report — based on indicators developed after careful customisation of the framework on freedom of expression — noted that emerging threats to the internet landscape range from arbitrary administrative shutdowns of internet, misplaced judicial activism against internet freedoms, rise of cyber armies, enforced disappearances of activists and abuse of cyber-crime laws.

However, the arbitrariness of available legal frameworks and repressive mindset of the state authorities collectively have been resulting in restricted landscape for internet in Pakistan.

It noted that the dawn of 2017 brought many significant challenges and troubling trends with the year starting with enforced disappearances of five bloggers. While the others were released, one still remains missing. Moreover, many social media activists and journalists were summoned by the investigation agencies for their online political expression.

“This trend has cultivated a climate of fear, self-censorship and further strengthened the culture of impunity,” said Shahzad Ahmad, the country director for Bytes4All.

Over the course of last year, increased access to the internet has also resulted in an increased threshold of online crimes against social media users and political activists with dissenting voices.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2017.