Case Update Status

Social media accounts banned by National Counter Terrorism Authority are still down.

Summary of Case

On 24 April, 2021 National Counter Terrorism Authority said more than 19,000 social media had been taken down for inciting hate and spreading terrorism in the country.

Google, Facebook, and Twitter had taken down the 19,727 accounts involved in spreading hate and terrorism, the counter-terrorism agency said.

9,633 pages were spreading religious hatred, while 10,094 social media accounts were promoting terrorism and were blocked on the request of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, NACTA said.

NACTA said five websites, spreading terrorism-related material, were also blocked, adding a total of 24,038 social media-related complaints were filed in 2020.

The development comes after services of social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Telegram were blocked for four hours in Pakistan on April 16.

"In order to maintain public order and safety, access to certain social media applications has been restricted temporarily," PTA had said in its explanation regarding the suspension of services.

Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry had regretted the blockage of social media sites across the country from 11am to 3pm, promising that he will try his best that the measure is not taken again in the future.

"I regret the three-hour suspension of social media and seek an apology over it," Chaudhry said in a statement on Friday.

"Every effort will be made to prevent a shutdown of social media in the future," said the federal minister.

Category of Incident

Censorship

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08031-Acts against freedom of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts against freedom of expression

Reported By

The News

Date of incident

24

Month

April

Year

2021

Name of affected person

No person Affected

Other affected persons

No other person affected

Name of affected organization

Social media Platforms

Other affected organizations

No other organization affected

Action by

National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA)

City

Nationwide

Province

Nationwide

Designation

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Professional category

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Age of victim

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Date of compensation announcement by government: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Date of compensation paid by government: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Amount of compensation announced by others: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Date of compensation announced by others: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Date compensation paid by others: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Court where case was presented: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Employer organization

Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not applicable as social media accounts had been taken down

Press club 2:

Press club 3: