Wrong first step
Whatever this controversial business over the cybercrime does, or does not, achieve in terms of policing Pakistani cyberspace, it does expose a particularly weak spot in Pakistani legislation. Leaving a rapidly evolving phenomenon like cybercrime under a vague legal framework, at best, was clearly no longer possible. And, like most countries, the Pakistani government needed to finally put its best foot forward in terms of controlling cybercrime.
But why must that mean formulating necessarily bad laws; ones that not only betray little understanding of the cyber world but also a little disguised urge to control individual freedoms? And it’s not as if framing the right kind of laws is not possible. IT professionals and rights organisations actually did propose – when they were finally heard after a lot of yelling and waving – the kind of procedures that ensure clamping down on pornography, child pornography, black mail, data theft, etc, without infringing on individual rights. The recommended laws would also have denied the PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) the kind of powers that the cybercrime bill has provided it. No high executive in the Authority could shut down any website, leveraging a set of loose laws, after a phone call from some government office.
And nobody, of course, would have been granted the authority to oversee emails, personal communication, etc. Granted, the online sphere has played a key role in the success of international terrorism lately. And modern militant methods of online recruitment, etc, mean that some of the freedoms will simply have to be let go of. That is just the new reality. But when governments posture, deliberately, to clamp down on some of those liberties in the guise of progressive legislation, some manner of concern is naturally raised and expressed. There is no denying that the online sphere needs control. But there is also near unanimity, outside the government, that the proposed cybercrime bill is not a good one. With little time left to deliberate, the government must realis that it is making a bad opening in an important innings.
Even your article can get you arrested under cyber crime bill, or even a simple picture you might add which you might not know is copyright. The bill is vague and has inconsistencies, it will lead to many problems, for example, you get your devices confiscated if they ‘suspect’ you’re involved in anything they don’t like – what do I mean by ‘anything they don’t like’ for example, free speech, accidental controversial posting message on you’re Facebook account, a news article you wrote which happens to criticize, Islamic laws which are inconsistent, the Government or a corrupt politician. You can get arrested for posting an image which you are not aware of being copyrighted, you can get arrested for uploading a vlog which criticizes corrupt officials in the Government or just speaking your opinion. Even if you’re cyber action hasn’t caused anyone harm you are still going to get arrested for:
It’s ruining freedom of speech, opinion, right and freedom of thought, constructive criticism, religion and infringes on privacy of individuals.
So pretty much anything they don’t like. These corrupt officials are using Pakistan to control it with limiting people and their voices – no different from some Governments which do this illegal acts, in order to control their population to be submissive sheeps.
It’s a total failure, instead of protecting their own domestic people from foreign born cyber attacks, they are leaving us exposed. For example, a retaliation against a potential hacker will get you arrested not the primary culprit who happens to be in a foreign country. You are not seen as the victim but a convict ready for prosecution charges.
I recommend Pakistanis carefully read the bill and be aware of your rights, your freedom and your stance in this.
Also, please learn basics on using technology. It’s your fault for being a Pindi girl or boy, because you are holding the latest iPhone and you don’t even know how to use it, it’s obvious you are to blame for your own grievances – you should’ve learned basics on how to protect yourselves in this changing world of technology, that’s all.
Long live freedom!
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