Social media companies have blocked over 60 thousand URLs involved in illegal activities since the inception of social media rules.
According to documents available to Propakistani, since the notification of the Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules in October 2021, PTA processed 81,267 links to social media companies for blocking.
In contrast, social media companies have blocked 60,519 URLs. The social media links are related to contempt of court, defense of Pakistan, the glory of Islam, defamation, decency, morality, hate speech, and others.
According to the document, PTA sent 416 contempt of court links to social media companies for blocking, out of which social media companies have blocked 116 URLs, and the blocking percentage is 27.88 percent. The Authority has sent 23,985 Defence of Pakistan-related links to social media companies, the companies have blocked 14,569 links till now and the blocking percentage is 60.74%.
PTA has requested the blocking of 9,701 links related to the glory of Islam, and the social media platforms have blocked only 7,076 links. Similarly, 5,120 defamatory links were sent for blocking out of which social media companies have blocked only 933 links. The Authority has requested the blocking of 31,145 links related to decency and morality out of which Social Media Platforms blocked 29,444 links.
The Authority has processed 9,655 hate speeches and sectarian links and 7697 links were blocked. Similarly, 648 out of 1209 miscellaneous links were blocked by social media companies over one year. The social media platforms blocked all 36 proxy links processed by the PTA.
According to document, since the inception of Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules 2021, so far 5 social media platforms have completed the registration process and are now registered as Significant Social Media Companies in Pakistan. These companies include SnackVideo, BIGO Live, Likee, YoHo, and MICO.
