Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja has rejected the assertions that the country's upcoming firewall is meant to control social media.
Speaking to the media at the Parliament House regarding current cybersecurity issues and social media regulations, she said rumours had been concocted that firewalls are supposed to control social media content. She claimed that things are made controversial for no reason, as all social media was open.
During her interaction, the minister refused to answer specific questions about the installation of firewalls, focusing instead on broader cybersecurity concerns.
Also Read: Firewall being installed to control social media in Pakistan?
“Ensuring cybersecurity is essential,” Fatima stated, emphasizing the government’s commitment to addressing cybersecurity issues.
Ms Khawaja also responded to questions about the recent shutdown of X, formerly Twitter, explaining that the platform’s non-compliance with Pakistani laws was a significant concern. "Think about it, if the rest of the social media is open, why is Twitter shut down?" she questioned.
Also Read: Inside Pakistan's digital firewall project
“Twitter’s non-implementation of local laws is an issue,” she said. She contrasted this with Facebook, which adheres to local regulations, and stressed that similar compliance from Twitter is necessary. "There are all kinds of content on Twitter. We are in talks with the platform," she updated.
On the matter of content restrictions, Fatima remarked, “If there was to be a ban, then platforms like TikTok and Facebook would also be closed. However, TikTok complies with local laws 95% of the time.”
