Ministere stated that the URLs had been blocked in response to complaints lodged by stakeholders, including organisations and general public.
The Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications announced on Friday that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had blocked 6,418 URLs involved in the spread of fake news on social media.
In a written response to Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi’s question, he stated that the URLs had been blocked in response to complaints lodged by stakeholders, including organisations, the general public, and proactive search pertaining to the spread of fake news on social media.
He said PTA immediately received complaints; however, social media platforms usually do not entertain requests from regulators with reference to the removal of defamatory content and encourage users to directly report such issues.
Furthermore, they prefer direct communication with the complainants in order to obtain relevant clarification (if any) for the purpose of resolving the matter effectively.
Furthermore, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have been directed to implement strict mechanisms to prevent users from easily creating accounts until certain verifications or requirements are met by the account creator.
In the same vein, social media platforms provide verification of accounts owned and operated by public figures in order to prevent miscreants from misusing their credentials.
He stated that 104 fake Dailymotion links were blocked out of 107; 2,105 Facebook links were blocked out of 3,214; 113 Instagram links were blocked out of 140; 1,401 links of others were blocked out of 2,663 links for which complaints were received; 46 Tik Tok links were blocked out of 50; 2,227 Twitter links were blocked out of 8,413; and 422 YouTube links were blocked out of 857.
Fake news on social media is the dissemination of false or misleading information via social media platforms. It can be created or spread with the intent to deceive by individuals or groups, or it can be the result of misinformation or errors.
The spread of fake news on social media can have serious consequences because it can lead to the spread of misinformation, which can harm reputations, cause public panic, and interfere with the functioning of democratic processes.