ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General Hafeezur Rehman (retired), on Thursday, said that no directives were received so far to shut down mobile phone services.
Talking to media, he also said the registration procedure for virtual private networks (VPNs) was available on the official PTA website. He said the guidelines for individual VPN registration were clearly outlined for both businesses and individual users.
The PTA chairman defended the government’s current crackdown and policy on VPNs as a means to ensure digital safety.
Addressing a TikTok safety seminar on Thursday, the PTA chairman said Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression within defined social and cultural boundaries.
He said the country began registering VPNs in December 2010 and allowed them 15 years to get registered. The chairman said the government’s recent move to fast-track registrations and policies to regulate VPNs have drawn substantial skepticism. The opinion about internet shutdowns needs to be corrected. “The impression of blocking VPNs in the country isn’t correct,” he said.
Commenting on the summit, the PTA chairman highlighted the authority’s unwavering commitment to creating a safer online ecosystem. He remarked, “This summit marks a significant step in our mission to secure a safe and inclusive digital environment for Pakistan’s youth. The PTA remains steadfast in its efforts to implement innovative measures that protect children online and promote a digitally responsible society.”
Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja also addressed the seminar and discussed the rising cybersecurity challenges. She urged all stakeholders to share the responsibility of safeguarding young users.
Khawaja highlighted that maintaining law and order and ensuring security in the country are of utmost importance. She also spoke about ongoing efforts to minimize internet outages, aiming to provide the public with reliable, fast internet access 24 hours a day.
Khawaja revealed that four new undersea cables are being laid, with data transit starting from China, which will significantly improve the country’s internet infrastructure.
She also noted that countries with robust export markets tend to have better internet connectivity, underlining the role of digital infrastructure in economic growth.
Khawaja reassured that every effort will be made to ensure that the IT sector remains unaffected by potential disruptions in internet services.
TikTok, in partnership with PTA, hosted the Youth Safety Summit Pakistan on Thursday. The summit aimed to raise awareness about online safety, promote digital literacy, and foster collaboration among stakeholders to protect Pakistani youth online.
This summit served as a key platform to bring together stakeholders working in youth/minor safety, including government representatives, law enforcement partners, educators, parents and children, child protection NGOs, and industry experts.
There were several insightful sessions, including one that highlighted the “Digital Hifazat” initiative, a collaborative effort between TikTok and the PTA to promote online safety and digital literacy among Pakistani youth. PTA also delivered a presentation on its ongoing efforts to ensure child online protection, emphasizing initiatives aimed at creating a safer digital environment for young users.
Another session highlighted TikTok’s commitment to ensuring child safety with a focus on the safety features the platform offers to safeguard young users, including the Family Pairing safety feature, its Community Guidelines, and the Youth Safety Portal—tools designed to empower parents, educators, and young users themselves in creating a safer online environment.
A panel discussion on “Enhancing Child Online Safety” was hosted reflecting TikTok’s commitment to creating a safe environment for young users. Representatives from PTA, CERT, UNICEF Pakistan and SAHIL joined the panel as subject matter experts offering diverse perspectives on child protection. This was followed by a Q&A session and addresses by notable dignitaries.
Emir Gelen, Director Government Relations and Public Policy at TikTok Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia, said, “At TikTok, we are committed to ensuring the online safety and well-being of our users, particularly children and youth. We believe that this summit marks an important step towards creating a safer online environment in Pakistan. We’re dedicated to promoting digital literacy and online safety through our initiatives, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the PTA to achieve this goal.”
The summit concluded with the announcement of the #DigitalHifazatcontest winners. The #DigitalHifazatcontest, launched by TikTok and PTA, aimed to promote digital safety awareness among Pakistani youth. The contest invited creators to produce short videos highlighting six key areas: responsible social media usage, combating online harassment, preventing online fraud, ensuring youth safety and well-being, understanding TikTok’s safety tools and addressing misinformation.
The competition received 11,000 entries and three received the winning prizes, recognised for exceptional creativity in promoting digital safety among Pakistani youth. The winner of the competition was Bilal Shahzad while Chaudhary Danish and Muhammad Usama Kiyani were first and second runners up respectively.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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