Banning social media is not the solution: Farieha Aziz

KARACHI: With the growing global policing of content posted online, its pace in Pakistan has picked up too with the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan declaring that authorities would come down hard against those posting blasphemous content on social media.

Social media has played a strong role in shaping the modern day communication, and Pakistani users seem to be catching up. According to statistics released by social media companies, the number of social media accounts in Pakistan crossed the 44-million mark in 2016.

A majority of these users, however, remain unaware of the laws and implications of their unintended actions under the ambit of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.

Geo.tv asked Farieha Aziz, co-founder and director of Bolo Bhi, an advocacy forum for digital rights, to shed light on issues pertaining to social media use in the light of the newly placed regulations. 

Discussing how the newly placed regulations on social mediums of communication will affect the masses in Pakistan, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society award-winning journalist said that over-regulation and state regulation can sometimes “crush the nature of the medium.”

[embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/72a4688c3f290a0c0d6dc3a9d8656f7b.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9My8zMC8yMDE3IDY6NDY6MjAgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT12Uy84NThCVVc4dDN2S0M2SHBYdEtnPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]

The digital rights activist stressed on the importance of users exercising discretion when sharing data on the web.  

[embed_video2 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/9a60b85bde65bcdfc2fee3b93d230b15.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9My8zMC8yMDE3IDY6NDg6MDUgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1SYjRvNnRFT2d0dmFjR0Jyd3BRNk5nPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]

In response to a question about how people can protect themselves so as to not make them liable for prosecution for content they share online, Aziz said it is important to know how the entire communication system works. “If someone uses your phone or your internet protocol (IP) address to commit a crime, it’ll be traced back to you,” she said.

[embed_video3 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/c505c8370c5f55bb398d34a16e6c03d5.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9My8zMC8yMDE3IDY6NDg6MjcgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1hV0xQKzRwSE5MVXhRQzhkZGh2ZzVBPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]

When asked about the impact of cyber-crime and bullying on individuals, Aziz said, “We need to understand what harassment is and what are the channels through which harassment and bullying can be curbed. The problem with the cyber-crime law is its implementation.”

[embed_video4 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/373de5b1257e62c8d24ff32bd3041d93.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9My8zMC8yMDE3IDY6NDc6NDAgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT13WnZiTkJML3ZHeFZURm9LUGU4bkFBPT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]

Proposing a solution to individuals posting blasphemous content on social media, the activist discussed the 2012-YouTube ban in Pakistan and emphasised on the importance of adopting neutral ways to curb on the problem.   

[embed_video5 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/65447477ed38bdc0b0e94dabe4cac4b5.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9My8zMC8yMDE3IDY6NDg6NDIgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT0rVDBNVmZhM0thbFpVSW1kcURYNU93PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center]