Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs that while the authority can block entire social media platforms, it lacks the technical capacity to remove specific content.

He said only the United States and Israel were currently capable of blocking specific content from a website.

During a briefing on actions against defamatory and offensive content, the PTA chairman highlighted the complexities involved in regulating digital platforms.

“Government institutions and citizens are provided access to register complaints. About 80% of defamatory content is removed through coordination with social media companies,” he stated.

Rehman also revealed that a seven-member delegation from Meta (Facebook’s parent company) is currently stationed at the PTA office to improve cooperation. He added that there was a difference between the domestic laws and international guidelines.

He acknowledged the ongoing challenge of VPN usage in bypassing content restrictions, noting that over 40 VPN services are actively used in Pakistan. “When users install VPNs, they bypass our entire content regulation system,” he said.

The chairman also confirmed that social media platform X (formerly Twitter) was blocked in February 2024 following government instructions.

Cybercrime update: Over 500 arrests for defamatory content

The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) also briefed the committee, disclosing that 554 individuals have been arrested so far for spreading defamatory or illegal content online, based on 349 registered complaints. Out of these cases, 12 have resulted in convictions.

Concerns over TikTok, obscene content

Committee member and former federal minister Ali Muhammad Khan raised serious concerns over objectionable content on TikTok, saying: “There is objectionable content being played on TikTok. Sometimes I cannot even watch videos with my younger siblings. Where is the PTA’s role in preventing such content?”

He urged the authorities to intensify monitoring of platforms and take action against channels spreading nudity and obscenity.

In response, the PTA chairman assured the committee that while domestic content violators are tracked, those operating from abroad remain difficult to apprehend.

Committee seeks FIA briefing on financial crimes

In addition to digital content regulation, the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has requested a detailed briefing from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on the status of financial crimes.