Pakistan’s PTA Plays Whack-a-Mole with the Internet

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EDITORIAL:

The internet is a wild west, and attempts by governments to tame it by throwing their weight around often backfire. Take Pakistan, for instance, where Wikipedia has recently fallen victim to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s heavy-handed approach to regulating online content. The PTA has slowed down access to the site in the country because it didn’t act fast enough to remove what they deemed to be “sacrilegious content.” The regulator is threatening to completely block Wikipedia across Pakistan if they don’t comply with their demands.

This kind of overreaching by the state raises serious questions about citizens’ rights to information. And let’s not forget, the internet is a tricky beast to corral, with content popping up from all corners of the world, some of which may be illegal or inflammatory. So, what’s the best approach to take? Well, if there’s serious incitement to violence or hatred, then it’s justified to take action by working with the platform to isolate the offending content. But, shutting down entire portals should be a last resort.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Pakistan has had a run-in with regulating the internet. The nation was without YouTube for three whole years in 2012 after an anti-Islam film was uploaded to the platform. More recently, it was briefly blocked to prevent the live streaming of PTI rallies.

Pakistan has much bigger fish to fry than worrying about a few articles on Wikipedia, and the threat to ban the site could end up doing more harm than good. For one, it doesn’t bode well for the growth of the digital economy in the country. Plus, it opens up the possibility for the state to abuse its power and arbitrarily silence critics under the guise of blocking “offensive” content.

In conclusion, instead of giving in to knee-jerk reactions, it’s important to exercise caution and choose wisely when it comes to regulating the internet. Just like the old saying goes, “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” It’s a slippery slope, and once you start down it, it’s tough to turn back.