The government of Pakistan has issued a final warning to major social media platforms, cautioning that strict restrictions similar to those enforced in Brazil will be imposed if Pakistani laws are not fully complied with.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik said that continued non-compliance by social media companies would leave the government with no option but to take decisive action. They noted that Pakistan is closely studying Brazil’s recent case, where the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) was temporarily banned in 2024.
According to officials, Brazil took action after X refused to remove accounts involved in spreading election-related misinformation. The ban was lifted only after the platform paid a fine and appointed a local representative, setting a precedent that Pakistan may follow if necessary.
Pakistani authorities have now directed Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, Telegram, and X to:
- Establish official offices in Pakistan
- Deploy advanced AI tools to detect and remove terrorism-related content
- Share IP addresses and relevant data with law enforcement agencies
- Implement robust filtering systems to prevent banned users from re-registering
Officials revealed that several social media accounts were linked to organizations banned by the United States and the United Nations, raising serious concerns over national and regional security.
Sources within the government said that among the platforms, X has been the least cooperative, while TikTok and Telegram have shown relatively better engagement with authorities. All platforms were given a detailed briefing on July 24, but their responses were described as unsatisfactory.
The government reiterated that while it supports digital freedom and innovation, national security and compliance with Pakistani law are non-negotiable, warning that stricter regulatory measures could follow if platforms fail to act responsibly.
