Pakistan’s digital transformation is accelerating. Broadband subscriptions had increased from about 17 million in 2015 to some 83 million by 2020, driving e-commerce, online banking and a growing digital ecosystem. But increased connectivity also opens citizens to cyber-attacks and disinformation. The National Cyber Security Policy 2021 recognizes that the fast expansion of ICTs “exposes information assets to a plethora of new and evolving cybersecurity threats”. When it comes to digital security, it's not just about the technology – it's about the proof. Falsehoods — both misinformation, when the falsehood is spread inadvertently, and, particularly today, disinformation, in which a lie is spread by design — repeatedly accompany and exacerbate existing cyber threats, undermine confidence in digital systems and thwart regulation.
Acts like PECA, 2016 covers crimes of unauthorized access, hacking and cyber terrorism. But governance and coordination deficits persist. Pakistan does not have a specific law on data protection. Draft Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 The Personal Data Protection Bill 2023, which was drafted by the Ministry of Information Technology intended to govern the collection, processing and disclosure of personal data, and provides for mandatory security measures, breach notification, (1) yet this provides no guidance or recognition of International Standards. If passed, it could increase confidence in digital transactions and bring Pakistan in line with international data protection norms.
Misinformation in Pakistan has long been an issue, but it has been particularly rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic. An input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression by Media Matters for Democracy says online disinformation undermines democratic values by deepening political polarization, influencing social media debates, weakening trust in news media and sowing hate speech. There has been an increase in the use of the internet, with the number of broadband subscriptions rising fivefold between 2015 and 2020. This also led to more misinformation. The Countering Disinformation in Pakistan report notes that disinformation has posed threats to public health, political stability, human rights, peace through instances such as during the 2022 political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. Although responses remain fragile, local capacity-building activities have increased journalists’ capacity to understand misinformation and manipulation of hashtags on social media.
Then of course there’s the matter of the effects of misinformation on public safety. A counterfeit video circulated on social media in April 2019 which showed children allegedly falling sick due to polio vaccine. The video depicted a man teaching children how to fake fainting, and it received more than 24,000 interactions. The hoax spread terror in Peshawar, where thousands of parents took children to hospitals, local mosques made announcements warning of the coming wave of kidnappers and an angry mob set fire to a hospital. Pakistani authorities had halted the polio drive for five days, and more than two million children had missed their shots. This episode highlights the way lies can both plague public health and harm infrastructure and official credibility. Misinformation is also a part of interstate rivalry. While hard evidence is scarce, analysts say that state and non-state actors have used propaganda, fake news and coordinated influence operations to create confusion during crises. During military standoffs between India and Pakistan, disinformation has spread, causing panic and impeding diplomacy, making attribution difficult and posing a significant threat to national security.
False information undermines the confidence that digital platforms aren’t the bad guys. Journalists interviewed as part of the IMS research said disinformation also presents the risk of falling for a scam while gathering information online which can have damaging consequences for reporting and journalists’ personal security. Many female journalists were singled out with gender-based disinformation campaigns that led to physical, emotional or reputation harm. The government’s responses have occasionally leaned toward heavy-handed regulation. PECA has been amended to increase punishment for online defamation, and it has been criticized by civil rights groups for clamping down on dissent. The OHCHR submission cautions that such countermeasures frequently infringe on freedom of expression, without remedying the underlying causes of disinformation. Heavy-handed policing can only encourage users to flock to encrypted services and anonymous accounts, which can be far more difficult to track.
Information literacy education is also important to address inaccurate health information. The IMS study calls for journalist training in fact-checking and media and information literacy programs for the public. Media Matters for Democracy highlights the value of public education materials, fact-checking resources and media training. Curricula of schools and universities, as well as of civil society organizations, should include critical thinking and digital verification. Provincial and local health departments should be more active on social media during public health emergencies (such as the current crisis) to engage directly with communities to counteract misinformation. Government of Pakistan’s National Cyber Security Policy underscores the requirement of Cyber Governance Policy Committee and an institutional implementation mechanism. Pakistan needs to establish a national CERT and sectoral CSIRTs under a central authority. Public-private partnerships can also harness technical expertise from tech companies, academia and civil society to track threats and transmit information.
While PECA prohibits hacking, cyber terrorism and hate speech, it does not deal with fake news or data protection. The passing of Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 would control data management and would ensure the privacy of citizens. Legislation ought to distinguish between malicious disinformation and innocuous misinformation to refrain from inhibiting valid free speech. Legislation should obligate platforms to expeditiously take down offending content while protecting journalism and satire. Considering fears that PECA could be misused to curb dissent, it is also imperative that the law be subject to judicial checks and transparency mechanisms. The polio vaccine example demonstrates the need for cross-platform cooperation: on May 10th, 2020, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter together took down 174 links that promoted anti-vaccination messages. Pakistan’s telecommunication regulator should work out clear protocols with international platforms for the swift removal of harmful misinformation and for sharing of verified information from health authorities and government agencies. Platforms must give priority to trusted content and flag unverified claims. At the same time, the government needs to respect privacy and due process when seeking user data.
Digital technology can be deployed to fight misinformation. Machine learning (ML) models, especially deep learning, can detect deepfakes and disinformation. Universities in Pakistan and the National Center for Cyber Security should cooperate with their global counterparts to explore machine learning based techniques for detecting orchestrated disinformation and bot-like activities. Supporting grants and incentives for local fact-checking startups and digital forensics labs.
Pakistan’s digital dilemma is multifaceted. The rapid penetration of ICTs and poor cybersecurity networks then expose citizens to cyber-attacks while spreading misinformation fuels mistrust and further aggravate crises. Policies that cover seem to be Ideal are The National Cyber Security Policy 2021, PECA 2016, The Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 to make their nation secure on digital. Still, technology is not the sole solution to information disorder. Challenging these twin specters demands and all-hands-on-deck response: by upping our game on digital literacy on the one hand and on institutional capacity on the other by putting in place rights-based legal frameworks; by working with the social media platforms and investing in research and innovation. Pakistan cannot protect its digital future and its citizens from the destructive forces of disinformation and misinformation without the coordinated action of government, industry, academia, and civil society.
