Digital gagging

IT happened again over the weekend. Internet users in Pakistan found themselves cut off from WhatsApp and Instagram, with many unable to send voice notes, multimedia messages or even make calls. According to Downdetector, these issues started cropping up at around 10:45am on Saturday, the same day as a PTI rally. While the PTA, as usual, remains silent on the matter, the timing of the outages raises questions. Are all these disruptions mere glitches or something more? It is worrying how the nation is continually subjected to such digital blackouts. The state’s recurring strategy seems to be to curb access to popular social media platforms during politically sensitive occasions, under the guise of combating ‘digital terrorism’. And when it is not acting in the interest of ‘national security’, ‘technical faults’, such as submarine cable issues, are cited. This has gone on long enough now for patterns to emerge. Such excuses wear thin when the patterns align a bit too neatly with events challenging the state’s narrative.
In this era of digital connectivity, feted as the very backbone of economic activity, Pakistan can ill afford such disruptions. Businesses are hampered, critical services delayed and social connections severed. Worse, Pakistan’s image on the global stage is tarnished. Such outages cast doubt on the country’s commitment to democratic principles and have kept foreign investment at bay. And needless to say, citizens are deprived of their basic right to information. It is high time this cyclic pattern of digital gagging is ended. It simply does not do to resort to censorship this way. The authorities must engage with dissenting voices and address grievances. Genuine security concerns must be balanced against people’s fundamental rights. Pakistan stands at a crossroads. It can either continue down this path of suppression or embrace the principles of open discourse that are the hallmark of any progressive society. The choice should be clear.
Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2024