The trial run of a new firewall had slowed down social media in Pakistan, officials privy to the development confirmed,
This has sparked fears about the future of internet-based businesses in the country. However, officials assured us that internet traffic would return to normal once the trial concluded.
The government has allocated over Rs30 billion from the development budget for the acquisition and installation of this filtering system.
The allocation was made to the Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT), but the project execution is being handled by another authority, reducing MoIT’s role to merely an intermediary.
An official revealed that work on the firewall has been ongoing since January, including the purchase and installation of the system, which is now being commissioned. This commissioning phase is expected to take several weeks. When asked if the national filter would impact internet-based businesses, the official mentioned it might pose a subtle threat but clarified that these businesses are not the primary target.
Another official stated that the primary aim is to curb the reach of social media influencers who are perceived by the government to be spreading fake news. The goal is to reduce their influence by blocking or limiting the visibility of their content. Influencers are already being targeted under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016, with dedicated courts set up to handle related cases.
