Pakistan Threatens Social Media Ban if Platforms Refuse to Cooperate

Pakistani authorities have issued a stern warning to social media platforms that fail to cooperate with government requests, threatening potential bans similar to actions taken in Brazil earlier this year.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik delivered the warning during a televised interview on Thursday, specifically highlighting the lack of cooperation from X (formerly Twitter), which has approximately 4.5 million users in Pakistan.

“We have issued reminders to social media platforms and warned that those who fail to cooperate or coordinate could face a ban,” Malik stated during an appearance on Dawn News. The minister pointed to Brazil as a precedent, where courts imposed a $5.2 million fine on X before suspending the platform in August for non-compliance with orders targeting disinformation.

The statement comes amid ongoing tensions between the Pakistani government and social media companies, particularly regarding content related to imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. X has already been blocked in Pakistan since February 2024, shortly after the country’s general elections, reflecting growing government concerns about social media’s influence on political discourse.

According to Malik, the government has repeatedly asked social media companies to establish offices within Pakistan, but has received limited response. “Some social media platforms are cooperating well, but X is cooperating the least,” he noted.

The minister expressed frustration over what he described as double standards in content moderation. “Posts related to Palestine are removed, and accounts blocked, within 24 hours. Here, we are talking about a matter of terrorism,” Malik said, suggesting the platform responds more quickly to certain international concerns than to Pakistan’s domestic security issues.

Pakistani authorities are particularly focused on the X account of Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who remains incarcerated since August 2023. Despite his imprisonment, Khan’s social media accounts have remained active, raising questions about who is managing them.

In October, Malik revealed that investigations regarding Khan’s X account were underway. Around the same time, Khan was reportedly questioned in prison by Federal Investigation Agency officials about “anti-state” tweets, critical remarks on foreign policy, and other contentious posts emanating from his account.

The situation intensified in September when a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court challenged alleged inflammatory posts from Khan’s official X account during his imprisonment. The petitioner requested authorities to investigate who has been operating the account while Khan remains behind bars.

Khan is currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and faces additional trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 2023 protests.

The Pakistani government’s hardening stance toward social media platforms reflects a growing global trend of nations asserting greater control over digital spaces. Brazil’s temporary ban on X affected 22 million users after the platform failed to comply with court orders aimed at combating disinformation.

For international social media companies, Pakistan’s warning represents another challenge in balancing operations across diverse regulatory environments. The threat of potential bans puts pressure on platforms to engage more directly with Pakistani authorities or risk losing access to the country’s substantial user base.

As Pakistan strengthens its position, the situation highlights the increasing tension between governments seeking greater control over digital information flows and social media platforms attempting to maintain consistent global policies.