Pakistan Threatens to Ban Twitter

Pakistan’s Telecom Authority (PTA) has warned that microblogging site Twitter will be blocked if it fails to comply with the country's directive to block objectionable content. Islamabad has already served a number of notices to Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. The PTA has argued that while the others complied, Twitter has failed to oblige.

New Delhi (Sputnik): The Islamabad High Court has directed Pakistan's Telecom Authority to serve a final notice to Twitter on blocking objectionable content, failing which the government would be free to impose a complete ban on the microblogging site.

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"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," Pakistan Telecom Authority's Director General (DG) Nisar Ahmed told a Senate Committee.

Pakistan threatens to shutdown twitter:Pak­istan Telecommuni­cation Authority, a national internet service provider, informed senate that while Facebook,YouTube & other social media platforms complied with requests from govt to block objectionable content, Twitter did not oblige. pic.twitter.com/I8pQkeS5JZ

— VOA DEEWA (@voadeewa) August 16, 2018

The Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has informed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms had complied with the Pakistani government's request to block objectionable content while Twitter has not.

PTA planning to shut down Twitter in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/Fnl4mAdjXo

— ملک شیردل خان (@MSherdilkhan) August 17, 2018

"Out of a hundred requests from Pakistan to block certain offensive material, roughly five percent are entertained. Twitter ignores all the remaining requests," Nissar added.

The PTA told the Senate Committee that Twitter was not as popular in Pakistan as Facebook, and so they had little to lose if Twitter is blocked, Dawn News reported.
Civil rights bodies and some diplomatic missions including that of Germany have expressed concern over the development. 

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"Worried about press reports that Twitter is threatened in Pakistan. I love my followers. I learn so much form you. Social media must be handled with responsibility but must not be blocked. A free country needs free social media," German ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler tweeted.