The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated a nationwide campaign to promote safer internet and social media among citizens.
The PTA has decided to call for public support to curb the spread of hateful and harmful content online.
The PTA has issued guidelines urging users to act responsibly when using internet and social media platforms. It emphasized that sharing or uploading content that undermines national defense, integrity, and security is not only illegal but also a punishable offense under the law.
The PTA has advised citizens to report any material they come across on the internet or social media that is against the state. Such content should be reported to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further investigation. Additionally, users are encouraged to report this content to the relevant social media platforms and the PTA itself to ensure that it is blocked and removed swiftly.
Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), the dissemination of hateful material through any information system or device is a criminal offense. This includes content that promotes inter-religious, communal, or racial hatred, which is punishable under the law.
The PTA’s campaign aims to create a safer and more secure online environment by raising awareness among the public about the legal implications of sharing harmful content and encouraging them to play an active role in reporting such material.
A few days ago, the PTA had issued a statement regarding the slowdown in internet services across Pakistan. According to the PTA, the primary cause of the disruption was the failure of several international submarine cables.
It said that out of the seven submarine cables that connected Pakistan to global internet networks, two had suffered significant damage. The PTA highlighted that the AAE-1 submarine cable had already been repaired.
However, the PTA also noted that the SMW4 submarine cable was still experiencing faults, with repairs anticipated to be completed by October. The restoration of the AAE-1 cable was expected to improve the overall internet situation in Pakistan, but full resolution of the issues will depend on the timely repair of the SMW4 cable.
