Islamabad:
In connection with the recent murder of a Tiktoker, Pakistan’s National Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert) has issued advice and noted that women continue to face sustained threats such as image -based abuse and digital harassment in Pakistan.
The counseling – entitled Safe, Dilent and Responsible Use of Social Media – has painted a sharp picture of the digital piano landscape in Pakistan, which highlights risks affecting millions, especially children, women and older users – which are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, incorrect information, emotional manipulation and online abuse.
Cert has noticed that these threats are composed of inadequate reporting channels and low digital literacy while marking a worrying increase in cyber events affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online care.
According to the counseling, platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, WhatsApp and Facebook dominate the digital space, especially among young people who provide opportunities for expression, education and activism.
“However, these platforms are also fruitful reason for disinformation campaigns, phishing fraud, imitation, harassment and algorithm -driven psychological manipulation.”
A young tictoker, Sana Yousuf, was tragically shot in the federal capital on June 2nd.
The suspect, 22-year-old Umar Hayat-Og, a content of social media-killing Sana allegedly after she rejected his friendship. Sana Yousuf, 17, had more than a million followers on social media,
The advisory said that manipulation of user feelings through provocative content and the constant comparison promoted by curated online life has also helped to increase stress and mental health problems.
