State censorship operates at different levels in different nations. No one can say they are a stranger to the idea of state institutions using social media censorship as a tool for weaponising their own agendas. Certainly, Pakistan for one is not. Given our nation’s history of enacting political vendetta to silence public dissent, it is a well-known fact that once all else fails, our ‘democratic’ institutions ultimate guideline is to use force to obstruct the free flow of information. This certainly is a political mandate applied by the PTA and multiple other state authorities. Such happens to be the enigma that plagues Pakistan.
Individuals and businesses have been reeling from an internet slowdown owing to the testing of a firewall; albeit which the government initially denied before changing winds. The new cyber security measure is no secret. Although the IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja conproposed resolutions of how the state was looking into the matter at hand, she was quick to blame the nation’s ‘massive population’ for straining the network. Something that seems incredulous to our own ears given this very ‘massive’ population of 250 million seemed to be operating the internet just fine a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, an impact of such measures includes a resultant drop of forty per cent in the internet speed as stated by the ‘Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan’ (Wispap).
Initially, PTA was quick to justify the slowdown as being a faulty underwater submarine cable having broking down that had resulted in the national ‘WhatsApp dysfunction’ whereby all downloads seemed impossible using phone carrier networks. Finally, when all did not seem to quieten the ire of the population given the reputational, technical, and financial damages caused by this national internet meltdown, the authorities were quick to admit to the use of a firewall as the reason for the default in internet speed.
According to them, testing the firewall as a measure to keep VPN usage that circumvent government controls in check would be a bigger disturbance than an economic slowdown in an already poorly performing economy. Hence it is crucial to understand what these technical, financial and social damages are to understand the population’s growing concern for the mass internet slowdown.
One of the rising concerns has been how on an individual level, limited access to social media outlets on mobile carrier services has meant that real time action such as sharing locations or accessing photos has become a problem. Unless one has access to a home or office based router, connection has become impossible especially when people are travelling. This has meant outside homes or office, people are unable to make use of social media, location or calling services hence hindering multiple social and work related activities.
Undeniably, one of the gravest concerns has been how the firewall aims to regulate content. It has particularly come under fire for ‘censorship’ and violating ‘freedom of internet access and right to free speech’. Understandably, political militias operate under the guise of censoring state criticism particularly in a time when the nation’s military claims it is facing the onslaught of ‘digital terrorism’.
However, while some checks may seem reasonable, the question remains to what end do the checks last and what are the extreme measures undertaken by various agents to censor the content or those behind it when detected after rigorous monitoring and tapping. Privacy concerns do not only stretch to the online domain but extend beyond to become a cause of constant surveillance.
Many digital rights activists like Bolo Bhi’s director Usama Khilji have raised concerns that the firewall ‘technology is being supplied by a foreign government company’ which raises question of whether an international censorship vendetta may be carried out broadly to silence dissent, a claim that the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denies. Regardless, in a nation where Pakistan’s ranking has dropped to 145 out of 180 nations on press freedom as stated by the Press Freedom Index, the truth seems elusive.
Furthermore, the financial constraints are seen by how businesses and entrepreneurs at all levels continue to face disruptions in operations which has meant business efficiency has gone down. Profits have stumbled and reputational credibility of firms is now in question. It is vital to understand that reputational credibility is of top importance in any business.
However, with a national outage, delays in online workspaces becomes a norm, hence forcing international clients to seek opportunities elsewhere. Not only does it mean loss of profitable margins with the loss of international clients but the entire IT sector takes a hit as foreign and local investors alike seek stable environments instead of investing in Pakistan’s recently burgeoning tech sector.
Exporting Pakistan’s IT and digital services sector has become a vital part of its economy, with the country gaining recognition as a hub for IT outsourcing. Market has emerged as outsourcing services like data processing, customer support and software development to an international clientele is made easier by English proficient skilled workforces available at low costs. However, operational slowdown always translates to sales loss in various sectors.
Timely delivery of work is of essence to ensure sustainable presence and satisfaction of international clients and firms so that Pakistan can maintain its competitive edge in the outsourcing market. Nadeem Elahi, Managing Director at The Resource Group (TRG) that runs Pakistan’s largest outsourcing services commented on this internet slowdown being the worst in a decade and that ‘to be a hub for businesses outsourcing, we need 100 per cent reliable connectivity’ particularly in this atmosphere of poor connectivity. However, with only internet working at 30 to 40 per cent capacity due to the presence of a firewall, becoming a hub in any business field, merely becomes a dream.
Downloads, communication via social media websites or video uploads have notably faced outages and instant messaging with local and foreign clients have taken a hit. It is no surprise that many e-commerce platforms continue to face reduced traffic, hence reduced sales and the exchange of online ideas vital for many startups faces a rapid descent. This particularly affects the prospects of freelancers whose efforts have become an essential source of employment outside the formal and traditional market economy. Unreliable internet access has resulted in a downturn in client requests due to missed work deadlines particularly on freelancing websites like Fiverrr and Upwork. Ultimately, sources of formal and informal revenue have been shaken under the internet slow down and much damage control will need to be resolved.
Hence, the financial, technical, social and reputational damage sustained due to the firewall testing has shaken the economy. Concerns for privacy and censorship weigh in across the nation but one must realise that if these dealings continue without question, the democratic and market performance of our nation is at stake. Figuring out a definitive solution instead of shortcuts is a mandate binding on all of us.
The writer is our Editorial Assistant and a political economy expert.
