Pakistan's Parliament Passes Bill With Sweeping Controls on Social Media

Pakistan's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a controversial bill that will give the government sweeping controls on social media, including sending users to prison for spreading disinformation. From a report: The bill was quickly passed after lawmakers from the opposition party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan staged a walkout to denounce the law. Critics say the government is seeking to further suppress freedom of speech.

Farhatullah Babar, a leading human rights activist, said the latest changes to cybercrime law were aimed at "further stifling the freedom of expression through setting up of multiple authorities under executive control, enlarging the print of unaccountable intelligence agencies." He said the law also "gives sweeping powers to the executive not only over the contents of the message but also the messengers, namely the social media platforms."

Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, which was introduced in the National Assembly Wednesday, authorities would create an agency with the power to order the immediate blocking of content deemed "unlawful and offensive" from social media, such as content critical of judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies. Individuals and organizations posting such content may also be blocked from social media.

Disinformation in Paki

[nevermindme]

That is certainly a tall order to figure out what is disinformation. The entire society is built on half truths and a mythos of tribalism.

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[nevermindme]

Reactionary Much? Saying Pakistan is diverse and has a mythos politic is not uncontroversial. Part of a western society, a number of untruths can float around, and agreements to disagree should be default.

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[BishopBerkeley]

This is simply not relevant. The question is how does one halt coordinated disinformation campaigns. A few bumpkins have to be smacked on the head for being stupid enough to spread lies is a bonus, not a drawback. Forcing people to think before they do stupid things is a good thing. There should be consequences for stupidity, not reward.

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[znrt]

The question is how does one halt coordinated disinformation campaigns

ban the biggest source of them by far, namely all mainstream media owned and/or "coordinated" by elites?

i'll grab my popcorn.

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[BishopBerkeley]

Summary execution for cynics are made more appealing by such remarks.

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[Baron_Yam]

Given that money is power and the press is a form of power you can buy with money... It would be interesting to put a cap on 'power' as measured by wealth.

I already think we shouldn't allow billionaires to exist, that our economic system needs patching to prevent the runaway conditions that create them, but the press ought to be considered separately, so no combination of money + editorial control equivalent to a billion or more dollars.

No one unelected person should wield the power that wealth measured in

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[Anonymous Coward]

Well I suppose 96% Muslim is more diverse than Afganistan (100% Muslim).

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[alvinrod]

It is a tall order, but as long as it's a right reserved to each individual person to pursue as best they see fit I can have no complaint. The moment any apparatus or agency is created to abrogate that responsibility from the people it will become the target of pernicious individuals who will bend and twist it to suit their own purposes, making it an instrument of lies. Anyone who believes in the maxim of power corrupting must surely admit that the power to dictate "the truth" is one that should never be gi

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[Growlley]

enough about america , this thread is about Pakistan,

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[karmawarrior]

Doesn't really matter. This isn't about disinformation, it's about "content critical of judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies".

This is what clamping down on freedom of speech looks like: government action to prevent social media from publishing criticism of government. Not private entities giving users 24 hour suspensions or removing their verified checkmark because they harassed someone they didn't like.

Let's be like them

[Tokolosh]

We have plenty of people who know exactly what is truth and what is disinformation. Let's put those people in charge of what we can see and read.

"Once you've built the big machinery of political power, remember you won't always be the one to run it." -- P. J. O'Rourke

It's a force multiplier

[Baron_Yam]

If you have a generally free and educated population, restricting deceptive speech helps keep it that way. If you don't, it helps keep it THAT way.

The free and educated society argued it can keep ahead of the garbage and doesn't censor much, making it less stable in the name of freedom. The oppressed society doesn't get to have an opinion about censorship, making it more stable.

In the long run, though, the productivity and stability of a society depends strongly on people being happy and motivated. This isn't typically a result of tyrannical corrupt rule.

Good luck.

Re:It's a force multiplier

[TheMiddleRoad]

Norms maintain societies. Restricting from above doesn't do much. This is why Trump e so corrosive. Great charisma and destroying norms destroys societies.

But it's ok when Europeans do it...

[christoban]

Don't worry, it's fine.

don't care but if they could take back their pedos

[elcor]

that'd be great,UK citizen would be mildly grateful.