PTA to curb blasphemous material on social networking websites
Shares
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced various steps to curb blasphemous content from social media websites.
A web analysis cell was established where 25 personnel are working solely on identifying unlawful contents on internet including the blasphemous material.
Chairman PTA assured that the PTA will do all their best to block blasphemous material on the internet especially on social media websites. According to PTA official, PTA have received more than 8000 complaints via email, out of which 188 were particularly about blasphemous content.
PTA took action against the complaints and the complaints related to threat and harassment have been refer to FIA .
He told, blasphemous material being uploaded on internet in different forms like literature , pictures , audio, video etc therefore identification of blasphemous material without human intervention is not possible there PTA has deployed a team of 25 IT personnel for this purpose.
PTA has blocked around 13,210 blasphemous links, given the facts a huge amount of content is being produced every minute and is uploaded on the internet, it is almost impossible to restrict anyone or more of the content categories completely, he added.
PTA has developed an electronic portal to facilitate stakeholders to lodge complaints relating to any objectionable web content, An email address is also advertised in the media facilitating general public to inform about any blasphemous content.
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr.Syed Ismail Shah said earlier that PTA has a close liaison with law enforcement and security agencies to handle the complaints regarding blasphemous material on social media.
MoIT in consultation with PTA has drafted Rules namely 迭emoval pr blocking of unlawful online content (Procedure, oversight and safeguard) Rules 2017, under the prevention of electronic Crime Act,2016.The said rules are in process of approval of the cabinet.
PTA has also requested HEC, MoIT and FIA to upload these guidelines on their respective websites for education of general public and also requested all concern stakeholders to report the objectionable content to the relevant platform directly.
As a part of public awareness campaign, a short message was broadcast to all mobile subscribers for awareness about uploading/spreading of blasphemous material on internet and its repercussions under the law.
People could report offensive content on social media on info@pta.gov.pk
