Internet Disruptions and Shutdowns In January
February 7, 2025Pakistan committed to digital transparency, accountability and Ethical AI: IT Minister
February 10, 2025
On January 29th, DRF held its annual National Privacy Conference. This year, the conference revolved around the theme of data protection to mark Data Protection Day. Panels discussed the state of voter data in the electoral process, the troubling gaps in regards to the safeguarding of said data, as well as the state of data protection legislation. They emphasized the dire need for holistic and proactive legislation, and how its absence puts the sensitive data of citizens at grave risk, at a time when societies are more data-driven than ever. Read our press release on the event here in English and Urdu.
Policy Initiatives:
Voter Data Privacy
The DRF Research team launched “Voter Data Privacy in Pakistan: Privacy Risks, Data Protection, and Legislative Shortcomings during Data-Driven Elections” during its National Privacy Conference held on January 29th. The report examines how voter data was handled or exploited by political parties, and how government agencies responsible for said data should operate, versus the reality experienced by voters. Access the report here.
Digital Nation Pakistan Bill (2024) Analysis and Recommendations
The DRF Research team alongside the Legal team shared a detailed analysis of the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill (2024) (now the DNP Act) with the IT Minister, Shaza Khawaja. This included concerns and recommendations grounded in a comprehensive review of digital ID systems in global jurisdictions, best practices for data privacy and protection, and commentary from civil society organisations.
Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (2025) Amendments Analysis
The DRF Research and Legal teams prepared a legal analysis of the recent controversial PECA Amendments. A summarised form of this and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill (2024) analysis were shared with Senator Palwasha Khan as well. Both analyses are available on our website.
Digital Rights Tracker updates
The Digital Rights Tracker is a weekly updated repository that tracks cyber policy and digital rights issues pertaining to Pakistan. This month’s updates included the passage of the PECA Amendments Act 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, with the former the subject of much controversy, owing to the government not taking onboard concerns from rights organisations, journalists and other vital stakeholders.
TFGBV Increased Against Trans and Khwajasira Individuals
DRF team member Hyra Basit told Amnesty International South Asia how technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) has increased against trans and khawajasira individuals. See post here.
Press Coverage:
Awareness about PECA Amendments Act
DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad expressed her concern and criticism over the implications of the PECA amendments, passed in January. She wrote two op-eds in Geo News and The News about the potential impact these amendments have on free speech rights, and also did a detailed explainer with Geo News.
DRF, TLHC sign MoU to promote digital literacy
DRF and The Learning Hub College, Gujranwala (TLHC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaboratively promote digital rights and raise online safety awareness among students at TLHC and other institutions within its chain and The Jadeed Dastgir Ideal Schools.
Read the press release issued here.
NWJDR condemned harassment campaign against Asma Shirazi
On 10 January, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) released a statement condemning the most recent instance of the ongoing harassment and gendered disinformation campaign against female journalist Asma Shirazi at the hands of prominent political party supporters, and political commentators and vloggers. Read the entire statement here.
NWJDR condemned harassment campaign against Asma Shirazi
On 10 January, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) released a statement condemning the most recent instance of the ongoing harassment and gendered disinformation campaign against female journalist Asma Shirazi at the hands of prominent political party supporters, and political commentators and vloggers. Read the entire statement here.
Shanakht ka Muqadma (The Facets of Hate Speech) by SOC Films
SOC Films’ new episode in its Hate Speech docuseries was released featuring DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad, trans rights activists and other activists. The episode explored the targeted disinformation campaign against the 2018 Transgender (Protection of Rights) Act in Pakistan, leading to increased hate and violence against the community.
DRF was also mentioned in the following press coverage:
Events:
Nighat Dad at Thinkfest Pakistan
DRF has extensively researched harmful online content throughout 2024, be it gendered disinformation or platform accountability during Pakistan’s elections.
With the recent spike in fake news, online hate speech and AI deepfakes, it’s more important now than ever to learn how to navigate digital spaces. DRF Executive Director Nighat Dad joined this year’s Thinkfest (11-12 January) on two panels: “AI, Fake News, and the Fight for Digital Rights”, as well as “Advancing Media Literacy & Rights Online-Offline”.
High-Level Dialogue on Building Digital Safety | UNDP
On January 16, 2025, Nighat Dad spoke on the panel Platform Accountability: Social Media Safety Protocols and Civil Society Perspectives on TFGBV at a high-level dialogue in Islamabad. The event convened stakeholders to address TFGBV, emphasizing a national framework for prevention, prosecution, and protection against digital abuse.
AI Insights Workshop: Mastering reporting on new technologies
DRF conducted a one-day workshop with journalists and media practitioners on understanding and reporting on AI and emerging technologies on 3rd January in Islamabad. The event involved discussions on the societal impact of GenAI, ethical concerns, evolving trends, as well as topics around digital security and DRF’s Cyber Harassment Helpline.
Asian Development Bank Digital Citizen Workshop
DRF participated in the Asian Development Bank’s Digital Citizen Workshop on 30th January in Islamabad. The collaborative workshop brought together representatives from various organizations to discuss what a digital citizen should look like in Pakistan and how it can be made possible under the state’s Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025.
Other events:
- DRF conducted a one-day training on TFGBV for Bangladeshi early-career journalists, activists, researchers, and lawyers, participating in a fellowship hosted by Bangladeshi digital rights organization, Digitally Right, on 15th January in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- From 22-25 January, DRF conducted a dynamic series of training sessions, bringing together journalists, civil society representatives, religious and gender minorities, and lawyers. Focused on digital safety and legal recourse, these sessions aimed to equip stakeholders with the knowledge and tools to navigate Pakistan’s evolving digital landscape securely and effectively.
- DRF’s legal associate attended a dissemination session on “Doing Digital for Development: Digitalizing Law, Democratizing Justice” organized by CODE Pakistan and UNDP in Lahore on 23rd January. This event highlighted the findings of UNDP’s recently launched National Human Development Report 2024 on “Doing Digital for Development: Access, Adopt, Anticipate, and Accelerate”.
- DRF’s legal team participated in a law conference hosted by BCP Liberty Law and Human Rights Society on “The Legal Implications Regarding Digital Rights Protection in Light of Artificial Intelligence” on 24th January at Beaconhouse Liberty Campus, Lahore. Legal professionals and AI researchers explored the challenges and legal frameworks necessary to protect privacy, intellectual property, and online security in an AI-driven world.
Tech trends and tips:
New tech and platform developments:
Changes to Meta’s policies: On January 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued a statement regarding changes to Meta’s content moderation policy. Citing a “cultural tipping point towards prioritising free speech,” Zuckerberg announced that Meta was removing its third-party fact checking model, and moving to a Community Notes model, similar to X’s. Meta is also loosening restrictions on content moderation of topics like gender identity and immigration, and moving its trust and safety and content moderation team from California to Texas.
DeepSeek AI: On 20 January, Chinese artificial intelligence firm Deepseek released its latest, cutting-edge R1 LLM at a fraction of the cost of competitors, including its direct competitor, OpenAI’s o1 model. This sent a tidal wave through the U.S. stock market, with the Silicon Valley tech giant NVIDIA facing considerable losses. Aside from the financial shock, this development also causes geopolitical concerns within the U.S. over AI market dominance, being compared to the Soviet Union’s overtaking the U.S. in the 1950s space race.
Tip of the month: Messaging and Email
There are many messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber, but not all prioritize privacy. Experts recommend Signal for human rights defenders due to its open-source nature, end-to-end encryption, and zero data tracking. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal stores backups locally and doesn’t sync messages across devices.
While WhatsApp also offers encryption, the app’s backups on Google Drive or iCloud remain unencrypted, making them vulnerable. This is why Signal is a better choice for privacy-centric communication.
Similarly, for secure email, ProtonMail is highly recommended. It provides automatic encryption for emails sent between ProtonMail users. For non-Proton users, a phrase-protected encryption method ensures privacy. With apps available on Android and iOS, ProtonMail is easy to use like Gmail or Outlook with prioritizing security.
DRF Resources:
Cyber Harassment Helpline:
The Cyber Harassment Helpline received 191 complaints in January 2025, of which 166 were related to cyber harassment.
In January, an incident also became known in which scammers were using number spoofing software to impersonate state authorities and get sensitive information.
If you encounter such a problem, you can reach out to our helpline at 0800-39393, email us at helpdesk@digitalrightsfoundation.pk or reach out to us on our social media accounts. We’re available for assistance from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Sunday.
IWF Portal
DRF in collaboration with Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the Global Fund to End Violence Against Children launched a portal to combat children’s online safety in Pakistan. The new portal allows internet users in Pakistan to anonymously report child sexual abuse material in three different languages- English, Urdu, and Pashto.
StopNCII.org
Meta along with Revenge Porn Helpline (RPH) has launched a portal to support victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (NCII). NCII is a free portal for reporting cases of sensitive or sexual content existing online. Once you report a case, the necessary steps will be taken to block the images from the platform.
