Pakistan has initiated the drafting of a ‘Digital Rights Protection Bill’, as per sources on Saturday, with the objective of safeguarding the rights of women, children, and minorities, while also combating extremist ideologies and terrorism through social media platforms.
The bill aims to establish a supportive and inclusive digital environment to enable effective operations for social media companies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the Ministry of Information Technology to lead the implementation of these new initiatives nationwide, expected to address various challenges faced by social media firms in Pakistan.
This proposed legislation not only seeks to encourage international social media companies to invest in Pakistan but also underscores the importance of essential regulatory frameworks to streamline their functions. Pakistan aims to attract more capital from such companies by creating a favorable investment climate.
Moreover, the new legislation is poised to tackle issues such as harassment, cyberbullying, dark web activities, and crimes against women on digital platforms. It will also play a crucial role in combating the dissemination of offensive religious content via social media.
Protecting the well-being of children and minority communities will be central to the legislation, aiming to remove inappropriate content related to minors and ensuring their rights are safeguarded in cyberspace.
The Ministry of Information Technology has already begun formulating recommendations and policies with the guidance of experts in the field.
