Pakistan should be 'transparent' about internet disruptions, surveillance: Amnesty International

Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to be "transparent" about the ongoing internet disruptions and the use of surveillance technology.

Jurre Van Bergen, Technologist at Amnesty International on Monday expressed concern over the opacity surrounding the use of monitoring and surveillance tools that block content, slow down, and control internet speeds.

"The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down and control internet speeds is an alarming concern," Van Bergen said.

He said that such technologies, including national firewalls, are often incompatible with human rights.

"These pervasive tools undermine online freedom of expression and access to information," he added. "The internet is critical for the enjoyment of the public’s right to be informed, citizen’s self-expression, e-commerce, and the digital economy."

Van Bergen also highlighted the impact on the Pakistani diaspora, stating, "Internet disruptions create anxiety among Pakistani communities outside the country who are unable to connect and communicate with their loved ones."

Amnesty International urged the Pakistani authorities to clarify the reasons for these internet disruptions and ensure that monitoring and surveillance systems are not deployed in a manner that is unnecessary, disproportionate, or in violation of international human rights law.

On August 21, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman claimed that a fault in a submarine cable was disrupting internet services across Pakistan.

He expressed those remarks during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information Technology chaired by Syed Aminul Haque.

This was followed by Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja's statements who denied that the government was behind the internet slowdown, saying that problems occurred "for one or two days" because of the excessive usage of Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Khawaja explained that when more users went live on the VPN, pressure grew on the internet.

"The government realises that people are angry after being affected. However, efforts are being made to ensure that people do not face any more internet problems," she said.

Internet networks have been up to 40% slower than normal since July, according to one IT association, while documents, images and voice notes have been disrupted on WhatsApp, used by tens of millions of people.

Digital rights experts believed the state was testing a firewall that disrupted the services.

IT minister's statement came a day after the business community and internet service providers alleged that the government's heightened efforts to monitor internet traffic, including a 'firewall' - had resulted in a significant nationwide slowdown of services, leading to losses to the economy.

The firewall's "inexplicable opacity and ambiguity" is sapping Pakistan's economic potential and could cost its IT sector up to $300 million, according to the Pakistan Software Houses Association, which represents IT firms.

Another IT expert said that connectivity had slowed by up to 40% over the past month.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) received a petition against nationwide internet shutdowns, with the Chief Justice seeking responses from the government and the PTA by August 26.

The petition named the Cabinet Secretary, Secretary of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Interior Secretary, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and the Ministry of Human Rights as respondents.

It claims that the firewall's installation has significantly slowed down internet speeds, harming the digital economy, particularly affecting the youth.