IHC orders action against harassment

Says govt agencies must help eliminate digital safety obstacles

ISLAMABAD:

The capital's high court has ordered government authorities to ensure implementation of laws against online harassment and blackmail. The court has also directed that laws against misuse of digital media should also be fully enforced.

A single-member bench comprising Islamabad High Court's (IHC) Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued a written order while hearing a petition that raised questions regarding online safety, prevention and redress of media misuse, and effective enforcement of the statutory framework.

The IHC directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to submit a detailed report on the implementation of the relevant laws and mechanisms.

The court also directed the Ministry of Information Technology, Pemra, the PTA, the NCCIA and other relevant ministries and departments to convene a meeting to identify legal, administrative and technical obstacles to enforcement.

It also asked them to explain what steps had been taken, or proposed, to remove these obstacles and identify areas requiring coordination among the relevant institutions.

The court directed the authorities to report on measures being taken to prevent online harassment, blackmail and the unauthorised circulation of private material.

A written report submitted by the PTA was also made part of the court order. According to the PTA report, the authority's success rates in blocking unlawful content varied across categories and social media platforms.

The report showed that 59.1% of requests to block content relating to Pakistan's defence and security were acted upon, while the implementation rate for requests concerning terrorism-related content stood at 79.51%.

The PTA reported blocking 76.54% of content categorised as being against the sanctity of Islam and 98.91% of content relating to decency and morality. The rate for sectarian and hate-related content stood at 64.43%.

Platform-wise, the reported content-blocking rates were 48.42% on X; 78.57% on Facebook; and 79.52% on Instagram. The rates stood at 87.34 % for YouTube and 88.68% for TikTok.

The PTA report also stated that social media companies had been asked to fulfil registration requirements with the authority and appoint local officers to address complaints.

It said no positive response had been received to the proposal for appointing local representatives. According to the PTA, social media operators frequently reject requests to remove content.

The court raised the question of whether the legal powers granted to the competent authorities under the relevant laws and rules were actually being exercised.