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Senate Panel Approves Bill to Tackle Objectionable Social Media Content
Senate committee approves bill to remove objectionable content from social media, citing its use by terrorists. Minister says “we ourselves are among the victims of social media.”
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-20
Senate Panel Approves Bill to Tackle Objectionable Social Media Content

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has unanimously approved a bill to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PICA), aimed at regulating objectionable content on social media.

The bill, proposed by Senator Anusha Rehman, was discussed during the committee meeting where she raised concerns about the lack of clear procedures for removing harmful content. She questioned what actions would be taken if social media platforms did not comply with requests from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) or the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

Rehman highlighted that while service providers often refuse to remove content unless it is legally proven to be a crime, there should be a clear mechanism for handling objectionable content. DG NCCIA confirmed that requests for cooperation had been made to social media platforms.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry stressed the growing threat of social media misuse, saying, “We ourselves are among the victims of social media. Terrorists used to use pistols earlier, now they are using social media.” He added that the legislation regarding social media traditionally falls under the IT Ministry, but that the current law is under the Interior Ministry’s purview.

Chaudhry further expressed support for stricter measures, stating that social media platforms and certain service providers should be banned if they fail to comply, while defending the move against criticism of limiting freedom of expression.

The bill’s approval by the committee is a significant step towards creating a legal framework to tackle online threats, with NCCIA and PTA expected to play a central role in its implementation.
Tagged:

Pakistan

CyberCrime

SocialMediaLaw

PICA
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