Freedom of the Internet is one of the citizens’ fundamental rights and digital rights, information freedom, internet access, censoring, and net neutrality is its fundamental components. Internet freedom is an essential component. Although it is seen as one of the most important aspects in the world, in Pakistan it is often arbitrated. In Pakistan, Internet freedom declined sharply in 2020 due to blockages on different issues on the government’s political, social, and cultural websites.
Dawn reports that this insight is received from the report “Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA) Annual Pakistan Media Legal Review 2020” on the World Press Freedom Day held on 3 May.
The report entitled “In Pakistani online civic areas, fear and hate grow” showed how digital rights in Pakistan have been jeopardised.
The cumulative effect of the results is that Pakistan has already deteriorated significantly by 2020, under the already unsatisfactory legal framework of free expression, the right to information and digital rights,”
Internet freedom has declined in Pakistan since 2020
Because Pakistan suffered a major recession in this year’s implementation of digital rights, online space was threatened by freedom of expression and the right to information.
“This leads to an increase in online censorship, hate speech, digital monitoring, and privacy and misinformation.
During 2020, the government remained aggressive and expanded its powers on the media sector, regulating it and defining limitations of freedom of speech for the media and information professionals, including journalists and online citizens.
“This year there have been 13 incidents of Peca actions against journalists or human rights activists.”
Only then would we be able to attract the social media giants to begin operations in Pakistan, as this Government must revocate coercing policies and anti-hostile practices.