Islamabad:
Legislation on a new Bill – Prohibition of indecency and vulgarity on the bill with Digital Media 2025 – is expected in the next National Assembly Session. Introduced by PPP MNA Dr. Syeda Shahida Rehmani seeks the bill to limit obscene content online and involves sanctions ranging from RS100,000 to RS1 billion.
The proposed bill defines “digital media” and “prohibited content” as including online and offline platforms, applications, social media and streaming services.
This applies to all content in the form of images, audio, videos, multimedia, movies, web series, animated sketches, dramas, songs, short videos, live broadcasts or advertising that can be seen through digital media.
Forbidden content includes sexual conversations, objectionable relations, sexual immoral, semi-naked attire, drug use, public morality, harm religious feelings, scornful hijab, purdah or the family system, ridiculing religious figures and violating the ideology of Pakistan or cultural values.
According to the Bill, an authority, a board of directors and a court is established. Violations will be investigated by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and prosecuted in accordance with the law on the prevention of electronic crimes, 2016.
The Board of Directors wants eight members: two religious scholars, one woman and one man, two psychologists, a female civil society member, a legal expert with media, a media professional who is responsible for seizing prohibited content, and a federal government representative as chairman.
The Court will consist of three members: a person qualified to be a Supreme Court judge, a media professional and an IT expert who will hear and decide cases related to digital media.
The Board of Directors will have authority to ban prohibited content, make changes, take Suo Motu action against obscene material and recommend fines for violations, while the authority will act under the board’s recommendations.
Sanctions under the Bill include one year in prison and a fine of RS500,000 for the first time offense and three -year imprisonment and RS5 million fine for the second offense. Violations involving religion, women, children or the family system will result in five-year prison and RS10 million fine.
Digital media platforms and service providers must report all uploaded content in Pakistan to the Board of Directors within 15 days, and after notice it is prohibited within 24 hours and retains the record for three years.
RS50 million platforms are imposed for the first violation and RS100 million fine for the second violation. Repeated violations will result in license cancellation and blocking of service.
All crimes under this law will be non-accessible and non-composed. The bill is expected to be approved by NA after considering in the relevant standing committee.
Peca, a law passed in 2016, was passed by lower and upper houses for the purpose of tackling cybercrime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to fight online violations such as hacking, data theft and cyber bullying. Many journalists and media organizations have raised concerns about its consequences for freedom of press and freedom of expression.
“The government has to learn the lessons when it was previously used against the same party that had passed the law in a hurry,” commented Mazhar Abbas, a senior member of PFUJ.
