Women facing digital harassment: CERT

ISLAMABAD:

In the context of the recent murder of a TikToker, Pakistan's National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has issued an advisory, noting that women continue to face persistent threats such as image-based abuse and digital harassment in Pakistan.

The advisory — titled Safe, Diligent, and Responsible Usage of Social Media — has painted a stark picture of the digital threat landscape in Pakistan, highlighting risks that affect millions particularly children, women, and elderly users — who are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, misinformation, emotional manipulation, and online abuse.

CERT has noted that these threats are compounded by inadequate reporting channels and low digital literacy, while flagging a worrying increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming.

According to the advisory, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook dominate the digital space, especially among youth, providing avenues for expression, education, and activism.

"However, these platforms are also fertile ground for disinformation campaigns, phishing scams, impersonation, harassment, and algorithm driven psychological manipulation."

A young TikToker, Sana Yousuf, was tragically shot dead in the federal capital on June 2.

The suspect, 22-year-old Umar Hayat — also a social media content creator — allegedly killed Sana after she rejected his offer of friendship. Sana Yousuf, 17, had more than one million followers on social media,

The advisory said manipulation of user emotions through provocative content and the constant comparison promoted by curated online lives has also contributed to increasing stress and mental health issues.