In a bid to be more open and transparent, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is in the process of formulating regulations to clearly define the process of websites having objectionable content, revealed a well placed source in the organization.
In a summary dispatched to Prime Minister Secretariat, the authority has thrown light on its proposed plan in detail and also the nitty gritty of execution process. The authority now formally awaits approval from PM Secretariat. The move it is believed, will also pave the way for Internet censorship.
In the summary, PTA has recommended to increase the members of inter-ministerial committee to include operators and industry experts to to decide ban or not to ban a website.
Unlike current practice of asking all ISPs to block a particular URL in case it is banned, the recommendation forwarded to PM Sect proposes a centralized filter to block websites containing offensive content.
This centralized filtration solution will help PTA in executing the Government orders if decision for banning a website is ever made.
Particularly, after recent Facebook incident, PTA is extremely concerned about the current process of banning internet websites based on anti-Islamic or anti-state websites.
In this regard, PTA has studied Saudi, UAE, Singapore, Chinese and some other censorship models to come-up with the best possible way-out for getting the internet censorship, which may be acceptable by majority of stakeholders and internet users in the country.
In case of top 100 alexa website (such as facebook, youtube) gets in question, PTA has recommended the government to contact the webmaster and ask them to remove the content, if they do – too good, other wise block it forever (and not for 21 days), quite fair i guess.
Well, I guess I can look forward to not using digg, reddit, or a bunch of other aggregator sites. They’ll be blocked for good.
this means whole Website will be blocked, based on one Offensive Content?
just like what happened to FaceBook last Month???
facebook kay ban honay par itni kiun chirr ri ho?
Goverment is mad now
lame opinion.
the above article reads a very organised way of filtering internet content in Pakistan.
Its good!
agreed!
ya….this system will be good.
It is not useful and unworkable. People should be educated so they can employ self-censorship. This system will just create a minor inconvenience for those who know how to bypass the filter, while at the same time deprive many people from legitimate access.
PTA should clearly mention that this censorship, will only be used for anti-Islam, anti-state censorship and not anti-government, anti-freedom of speech, anti-media, anti-opposition, anti-civil society & groups active for trasparency in govt institutions and govt.
Lawyers want to be popular in Media & everywhere again.
Now internet Banning is the New thing which will bring them back to People,s talk again.
idiot lawyers are actually lowyers!!
Agreed, there is no other way than censorship to block this all. All objectionable content should be censored including adult materials. Also PTA should take legal steps against the authors of such content who are doing so living in the premises of Pakistan.
In conclusion everything foreign is bad.