PTA threatens to ban Twitter in Pakistan

Despite micro-blogging website Twitter gaining grounds in Pakistan, it has been threatened to get banned for not following the country’s notions.

Social media website Twitter might get banned in Pakistan for not complying with country’s notions of what is suitable for public consumption and what is objectionable content, as per the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

According to local media report, PTA informed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat that where sites such as YouTube, Facebook and other complied with requests from the government to block objectionable content, Twitter did not.

“Out of a hundred requests from Pakistan to block certain offensive material, roughly 5% are entertained. Twitter ignores all the remaining requests,” Director General of PTA’s Internet Policy and Web Analysis, Nisar Ahmed, told the committee.

Ahmed further informed the committee that Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken notice and issued a directive to the regulatory body in order to give the micro-blogging site a final notice, in which it is made clear that it needs to respond to requests from Pakistan or get blocked.

“The PTA has conveyed the court’s concern to Twitter, but has not got a response. The regulatory authority will implement court orders if Twitter does not respond to the final notice,” he said.

He also mentioned that unlike Facebook, Twitter is not that popular yet in the country, thus there is not much to lose it the site is even blocked, in fact it will affect Twitter more. “The court is determined to teach Twitter a lesson – they will lose business.”

Furthermore, comparing Twitter with Facebook and YouTube that see Pakistan as an emerging market, Ahmed said, “In fact, Facebook has appointed a focal person to address the concerns from Pakistan… YouTube is now also offering a local version in the country and removing offensive material and the website is no longer an issue.”

The meeting was held regarding the penalties fixed by PTA against the ‘derogatory’ comments spreading through social media targeting the state, its citizens and its institutions.