Over 17 political trends on ‘X’ flagged ‘sensitive’

CTD report says political trends targeted general elections and national security institutions

LAHORE:

More than 17 political trends on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) have been flagged as sensitive, authorities revealed on Wednesday.

According to officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), a report has been compiled following three months of meticulous monitoring of social media activities, particularly focusing on trends that could potentially incite riots or promote extremist ideologies, including "terrorism and communalism."

The findings of the report shed light on how political trends often targeted crucial events such as general elections and national security institutions, hinting at a concerning trend of online agitation and misinformation campaigns.

Moreover, the report highlighted that a major portion of the anti-national rhetoric observed on social media originated from individuals residing abroad.

Read more: SHC orders govt to restore X in one week

Punjab police and prominent figures were reportedly subjected to undue criticism within these trending topics, with nine trends identified as having communal undertones.

Similarly, ten trends were monitored relating to nationalism, with specific mentions of Balochistan and Gwadar.

In response to these revelations, officials from the CTD have vowed to take decisive action against individuals found to be instigating unrest through social media platforms. As part of their efforts, the CTD has already taken measures to block 2,836 pages and websites deemed to be contributing to the propagation of discord online.

Furthermore, authorities have identified two new organisations that have been actively involved in disseminating content through social media channels.