Pakistan has issued a firm warning to global social media platforms, urging them to comply with national regulations or prepare for consequences similar to Brazil’s strict enforcement model.
The government’s caution comes amid growing frustration over what it calls inconsistent and uncooperative behavior from major tech companies.
Speaking to local and international journalists in Islamabad on Thursday, State Minister for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik said Pakistan would not hesitate to adopt the Brazil enforcement model, which includes blocking platforms and imposing heavy fines for non-compliance.
According to him, Pakistan could even consider approaching the International Court of Justice if companies continue to evade cooperation, especially on matters linked to national security.
The Brazil enforcement model became widely discussed after a June 11 ruling by Brazil’s Supreme Court. In that judgment, six of the eleven judges decided that social media companies should be held responsible for certain illegal third-party content posted on their platforms. The ruling opened the door for significant fines on companies that fail to remove harmful posts in time.
Barrister Malik criticised tech companies for what he described as selective action. He pointed out that content related to Palestine could be deleted within 24 hours, yet the same platforms refused to share the IP addresses of accounts involved in terrorism.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry echoed the concerns, recalling Islamabad’s earlier warning on July 24. He said social media companies must open offices in Pakistan if they wish to operate responsibly and transparently.
Chaudhry revealed that terrorists continued to exploit online platforms freely, with authorities identifying 19 terrorism-linked accounts operating from India and 28 from Afghanistan. He questioned why child pornography content could be auto-deleted, but terrorism-related activity could not.
He stressed the need for AI-based technology capable of automatically detecting and deleting accounts involved in terrorism and extremist propaganda.
As part of its intensified efforts, Islamabad has launched a countrywide crackdown on anti-state digital campaigns. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered 356 FIRs across Pakistan against individuals accused of spreading anti-state propaganda online. Additionally, 789 enquiries have been initiated to probe users targeting state institutions.
