Controlling social media excesses against state institutions
All short tempered public debates of the Dawn Leaks were inevitably relegated to that final forum of controversies, the wild and wanton social media. Political and personal passions ran so high that much emotional and mischievous content was unloaded on various sites. PML-N and PTI supporters apparently found the two relevant ISPR tweets disappointing, to say the least, and carried their battle to virtual territory. No doubt some ‘good neighbourly’ anglers, experts at fishing in troubled waters, entered the picture at some stage with their own hostile agendas and disturbing hoaxes. This unchecked and toxic campaign finally forced the Interior Minister to order a crackdown on those with obvious ulterior motives in the hate campaign, while those without apparent ‘vested interests’ were not to be touched. A very thin dividing line for the investigators, indeed.
Countries like China and hermetic North Korea may have an extremely controlled social media setup, but this tactic is impossible in our country, with its aggressive and vibrant print and electronic media committed to unfettered freedom of speech and expression, and possessed of a judiciary which jealously safeguards civil liberties. And as regards social media, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile its technological sophistication, innovation and outreach with the elementary demands of state security and safeguarding it against maligning campaigns by hostile elements. The Cyber Crimes Act passed (with 50 amendments) by the National Assembly in August 2016, was still deemed ‘draconian’ by opposition political parties, IT industry, civil society and human rights activists for its possible misuse by the authorities and government departments.
Arrests and interrogations of some people have taken place, and the FIA is working overtime to identify the hard-core culprits, fake accounts, phony profiles and non-state actors. Banning social media sites is a no-go, so the players themselves need to exercise restraint in their views, especially involving the army and judiciary, two premier state organs. Hopefully the criticism of the Interior minister’s step from sundry quarters will dissipate, as will the threats of taking to the streets against the crackdown.
