An unhealthy fixation
We in Pakistan have an unhealthy fixation. Especially our authorities. When nothing seems like it’s working right and we find ourselves completely out of ideas, we fall back, almost superstitiously, towards ‘morality’. Forget that morality is relative — for most of us, that concept is an alien one — we almost always fail to consider how counterproductive a path this fixation leads us down.
So it has finally happened. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has dropped its ban hammer again — this time on the popular Chinese social media app TikTok. The authority’s reasoning; TikTok failed to remove certain content that ‘a number of public complaints’ deemed immoral. Ironically enough, the move came as the prime minister tried to coax another social media giant, Facebook, into increasing its investment and footprint in Pakistan. Elsewhere, the prime minister also spoke of prioritising ease of business by eliminating ‘unnecessary regulations’. It is almost as if the PTA missed that memo.
If the telecom authority and a certain demographic of our society are rejoicing over this move, they are in for an uncomfortable reality check. History tells us that it is a futile endeavour to try to police ‘immoralities’ and repress what is essentially human nature. As Danzig implied, you cannot keep the young in the dark for life. Here is what will happen though. Pakistan already suffers from a global perception of a volatile market in terms when it comes to government policies. Potential investors in our online sector have not forgotten the YouTube and Facebook bans of the past. The prime minister may dream and cajole all he wants, but the TikTok ban has only crystallised this image. It could take years or even a decade before internet and social media giants consider Pakistan a viable market for investment.
If the prime minister is really serious about revamping and revitalising Pakistan’s online commerce sector, he and his government needs to immediately reassess the philosophy that currently guides the PTA. At present, the authority walks a path that is completely out of step with the rest of the world and out of touch with the needs of our time.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2020.
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