Pakistan outlaws disinformation with 3-year jail term

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan criminalised online disinformation on Tuesday, passing legislation that enshrines punishments of up to three years in prison.

The law targets anyone who “intentionally disseminates” information online that they have “reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest”.

The law was approved by the Senate on Tuesday as journalists walked out of the gallery in protest.

The bill will now be passed to the president to be rubber-stamped.

Facebook, TikTok and Whatsapp are among the most popular social media platforms in Pakistan, where low digital literacy fuels the spread of false information, conspiracy theories and deepfakes.

Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, a member of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, called the new law “highly undemocratic” and said it would “fuel the political victimisation” of their supporters.

There has been a proliferation of “disinformation” laws, including criminal legislation, worldwide in the past decade enabling governments to control speech online and police “fake news”, according to human rights organisation Article 19.

However, government minister Tanveer Hussain said the bill would focus on policing social media.

“I am sure that in the future, the anarchy caused in society through social media will be controlled,” he said.

The Pakistani public consumes news on social media including a massive community of commentators on YouTube who have millions of followers and are often heavily partisan.

Many lack proper fact-checking skills and contribute to spreading false information, sometimes for clickbait.

The new law says social media platforms must register with a newly established regulatory body, with non-compliance potentially leading to temporary or permanent bans.

It also grants Pakistan’s intelligence agencies the authority to investigate disinformation and allows any citizen to file a case.

Social media site X was shut down in the wake of February’s election, as posts alleging vote tampering spread on the platform.