Senior journalist Matiullah Jan has alleged that his WiFi device was cloned for what he described as “nefarious purposes,” raising concerns about privacy, surveillance, and the possible misuse of personal internet connectivity. He said he will pursue the matter with the relevant authorities.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jan claimed that the telecom company involved neither disclosed when the alleged incident occurred nor accepted responsibility. Consequently, he announced that he would escalate the case to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for a formal investigation.
Journalist Raises Privacy Concerns
Speaking to media outlets, Matiullah Jan described the alleged cloning of his mobile broadband device as a serious breach of privacy. He claimed the telecom operator had refused to provide details about the incident or explain how the alleged cloning occurred.
“The company is refusing to share details and is not owning up to what happened,” Jan said. Meanwhile, he maintained that he would continue pursuing the case through the PTA to seek answers and accountability.
Experts Explain Technical Possibilities
Technology experts said true hardware-level cloning, such as duplicating a device’s IMEI or electronic serial number, is difficult on modern GSM, LTE, and 5G networks because they use advanced authentication, encryption, and security measures. Therefore, such incidents are considered uncommon on current mobile networks.
However, experts noted that SIM cloning, SIM swapping, or the theft of subscriber credentials remains more realistic. These methods can allow attackers to intercept calls, text messages, or mobile data services. In addition, cloning a WiFi or mobile broadband device may involve duplicating subscriber credentials, MAC addresses, or network identities to gain unauthorized access or monitor internet traffic.
PTA procedures allow complaints of this nature to be investigated. Nevertheless, whether Jan’s device was actually cloned remains unverified and will depend on the findings of any formal inquiry conducted by the telecom operator and the PTA.
