Pakistan warns social media platforms of Brazil-style restrictions

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The government has issued a final warning to major social media platforms, stating that strict restrictions similar to those imposed in Brazil will be enforced if Pakistani laws are not fully complied with.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik said that in case of continued violations, the government would have no option but to take action similar to Brazil. Pakistan, they added, is closely examining Brazil’s recent case as a reference.

According to officials, Brazil temporarily banned Twitter in 2024 after the platform refused to remove accounts spreading election-related misinformation. The ban was lifted only after X paid a fine and appointed a local representative.

Government officials have directed Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Telegram, and X to establish offices in Pakistan, use advanced AI tools to identify and eliminate terrorism-related accounts, share IP addresses with law enforcement agencies, and implement effective filtering systems to prevent banned users from re-registering.

Authorities said several social media accounts were found linked to organizations banned by the United States and the United Nations, posing serious threats to regional security.

Sources revealed that X has been termed the least cooperative platform, while TikTok and Telegram have shown relatively better cooperation. Officials added that all platforms were given a detailed briefing on July 24, but their responses were deemed unsatisfactory.