Islamabad: Pakistan’s opposition said on Thursday the government is seeking to further suppress freedom of speech a day after it proposed sweeping controls on social media that could include blocking platforms and sending users to prison for spreading disinformation.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, introduced in the National Assembly by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday, would create an agency with the power to order “unlawful and offensive content” blocked from social media, and to ban individuals and organizations from social media
Social media platforms would be required to register with the new Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, and those failing to comply with the law could face temporary or permanent bans.
The law also makes spreading disinformation a criminal offense, punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 2 million rupees ($7,150). The move comes nearly a year after Pakistan blocked the X platform ahead of an election that the opposition party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan says was rigged. X is still blocked in the country, although many people use virtual private
networks to access it.