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Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Senate body concerned at absence of legal cover for PCC establishment
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication raised serious concerns over the absence of legal cover for establishment of Pakistan Crypto Council, while saying that crypto currency adoption could become a mega scandal. The parliamentary panel met with Palwasha Khan in the chair here on Monday to review the scope and mandate of Pakistan Crypto Council recently launched by the federal government. The committee questioned the legal standing of the council and reiterated that the legislature has not been taken into confidence prior to the establishment of the Council. Senator Humayun Mohmand inquired as to whether or not the council could be created by the Executive orders? The committee further inquired about the role of IT Ministry in Crypto Council. The ministry failed to satisfy the committee over the legal cover for Crypto Council. The IT Secretary,ZarrarHasham Khan, stated that the ministry has a role of providing input with regard to TORs. The committee was of view that the Crypto Council should be under the preview of the Ministry of IT, rather than the Finance Ministry. After due deliberations, the committee deferred the matter and decided to invite the Finance Ministry in the next meeting for a comprehensive briefing. The IT secretary said that information technology and IT-enabled services (ITeS) exports target of $5 billion is set for the next fiscal year. The country is likely to miss the exports target of $4.2 billion set for the outgoing fiscal year. IT exports is expected to reach $3.8 billion by the end of current fiscal year i.e. end June 2025 compared to $3.2 billion during the same period of last fiscal year. Discussing the issue of renewalof LDI/FLL licenses, the IT secretary informed that the consultation with the stakeholders has been completed as per the directions of the Sindh High Court (SHC), and the final decision will be announced in two to three weeks. Furthermore, the committee was briefed on the role of the IT Ministry in Pakistan Digital Authority. The IT secretary apprised that the Pakistan Digital Authority has been tasked to implement digital transformation initiatives focused on making the economy and governance digital, and will eventually play a major role in creating citizens centered 'Digital Society'. However, the IT Ministry is mainly responsible for policy formulation, legislation, governance in IT and telecommunications sector, he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
India.com
10-05-2025
- India.com
Operation Sindoor: IT Ministry Shares Do's And Don'ts For Internet Users Amid India-Pakistan Tensions
Operation Sindoor: Amid the ongoing tension at the India-Pakistan border, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a crucial advisory for internet users across India. With rising threats of misinformation and cyber-attacks, the government is urging users to stay vigilant, avoid sharing unverified content, and report suspicious online activity. The advisory serves as a timely reminder of the role every citizen plays in safeguarding the country's digital ecosystem. The ministry (MeitY) has outlined key do's and don'ts to help citizens navigate the online space responsibly during this sensitive time, aiming to maintain digital safety and national security. The IT Ministry also posted a list of 'dos and don'ts' on X (formerly Twitter) and asked the users to be vigilant and responsible. Critical Online Safety Alert always follow cybersecurity precautions. Stay cautious while online—don't fall for traps or misinformation. Be patriotic, stay vigilant, stay safe.#Digitalindia #OperationSindoor — Ministry of Electronics & IT (@GoI_MeitY) May 9, 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict: Do's Verify Information Before Sharing: Share only news and updates from official government sources or verified media outlets. Report Misinformation: Flag and report fake news or suspicious content to authorities (e.g., WhatsApp: 8799711259, Email: socialmedia@ Use Strong Passwords: Update passwords regularly and enable two-factor authentication on important accounts. Stay Updated: Follow official government handles (like @PIBFactCheck) for real-time updates. Educate Others: Inform family and friends about safe online behavior during such sensitive times. Secure Devices: Install antivirus software and keep operating systems updated. India-Pakistan Conflict: Don'ts Don't Share Unverified Content: Avoid spreading rumors, videos, or images that could trigger panic or mislead others. Don't Engage In Hate Speech: Refrain from posting inflammatory, communal, or divisive content. Don't Click on Suspicious Links: Beware of phishing attempts disguised as war updates or news alerts. Don't Use VPNs for Illegal Activity: Avoid using VPNs to access blocked content or spread harmful material. Don't Mimic Military Communications: Never create or share fake military orders, alerts, or troop movements. Don't Amplify Enemy Propaganda: Sharing enemy narratives or disinformation can harm national interests. Report Misinformation Via WhatsApp: Furthermore, the IT Ministry has urged users to report any misinformation by messaging on WhatsApp at 8799711259 or emailing socialmedia@ Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information And Broadcasting has issued a crucial advisory to OTT platforms, streaming services, and digital intermediaries operating in India. This advisory follows Operation Sindoor, a strategic mission executed by the Indian Armed Forces. Earlier on Saturday, India firmly rejected Pakistan's false propaganda, which wrongly claimed the destruction of key Indian military assets. Tensions between India and Pakistan have been steadily rising since the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.
Coin Geek
09-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Pakistan eyes expansion of digital wallet coverage
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A digital wallet project that the Pakistani government initiated two months ago has been a massive success, closing the gender gap and reaching citizens with disability, the country's prime minister says. PM Shehbaz Sharif commissioned the distribution of the Ramazan Relief Package in early April, partly via digital wallets for the first time. The Rs 20 billion ($71 million) initiative was overseen by the IT & Telecommunications Ministry and sought to make welfare and aid distribution 'efficient, transparent, and respectful.' It aligned with the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, which was passed by parliament in January and seeks to transition Pakistan into a digitally empowered nation. Speaking at a recent event, Sharif lauded the success of digital wallets in boosting efficiency and transparency in fund transfers. 'Through digital wallets, 79% of the funds in the relief program were transferred seamlessly and transparently,' the PM stated. Starting 2026, all welfare distribution will be done via digital means, he added. According to local outlets, over 900,000 Pakistanis received aid through their newly created digital wallets and conducted nearly 2 million transactions. Significantly, a sizable portion of the users were women, which the PM says plays a role in reducing the gender gap in the program. Over 2,500 disabled people also used the digital wallets, further underscoring the initiative's importance in promoting diversity and inclusion. 'This is more than a one-time relief package. It's about fostering long-term digital habits that empower individuals and integrate them into the formal economy,' commented IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja. Pakistan is undergoing a digital payment transformation. In the last three months of 2024, retail digital payments grew 12%, according to data from the central bank. Pakistanis made over three billion transactions worth Rs154 trillion ($554 billion). This growth is attracting global giants. In March, Google Wallet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) announced its entry into the Pakistani market, partnering with half a dozen local banks to allow cardholders to make payments via the app. 'The launch of Google Wallet is a solid testament to Pakistan's rising digital payments adoption and will serve as a signal to other global payment solutions about the market's potential,' commented Mutaher Khan, whose Data Darbar provides market intelligence in the country. However, the market still faces significant challenges. One of these is the country's massive undocumented economy, which the government reckons is as big as the formal economy. Operators in this cash-based market operate beyond the scope of the government and pay no taxes; this makes digital payments a direct threat as they would expose the market. Watch: RockWallet is the go-to app for everyone title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
130 censorship orders issued via Home's Sahyog portal in 5 months
The number received through the RTI do not reflect the notices sent to Elon Musk-owned X under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. Social media platform X is yet to join the Sahyog portal, which was launched last year to expedite the process of sending notices. X has, in fact, sued the government over this, calling it a 'censorship' portal. A separate RTI application filed by this paper also showed that in just two months January-February 2025, the IT Ministry had issued 785 blocking orders to various online intermediaries through the use of Section 69(A) of the IT Act. As per Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, online intermediaries like X can lose their safe harbour protections if they fail to block access to content which has been flagged by an 'appropriate' government agency. Safe harbour protections afford social media platforms legal immunity from hosting user generated content. While orders under this provision can be sent for various reasons, Section 69(A) orders can be sent for only a limited set of national security and public order-related offences. Together, these two separate provisions highlight the parallel content blocking regimes the Central government, along with states and Union Territories, are relying on to direct online companies to take down content the governments find objectionable from their platforms. While only the Centre can issue take down notices through Section 69(A), state governments and UTs, along with the Centre, are doing so through Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. Companies like Meta, X and Google risk losing their legal immunity from third-party content if they fail to take down the links flagged in these blocking orders. While the IT Ministry had directed a number of ministries to designate a nodal officer for issuing notices under Section 79(3)(b), ahead of notifying the IT Rules in February 2021, experts said the use of the provision to issue content blocking orders had picked up significantly in the last two years. The ministries of Home and IT did not respond to a request for comment until publication. This parallel regime is also at the heart of X's petition against the government, which has contended that through the use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, multiple government departments and agencies are now issuing content takedown notices to social media companies, 'attempting to bypass the multiple procedural safeguards' prescribed under Section 69A of the Act – while the latter has some guardrails, such as review committee meetings, the former has no such safeguards. The Home Ministry, in response to the RTI application, said that till now, 65 online intermediaries have been onboarded to the Sahyog portal. Nodal officers from 33 states and Union Territories, along with representatives from seven Central agencies, have also been onboarded. The Central agencies include the I4C, Ministry of Defence, the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Ministry of Heavy Industries, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND), Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. While the number of blocking orders issued through the Sahyog portal are 130, one such order could contain multiple links that platforms are expected to act on. For example, as per information shared by the government in the ongoing case against X, it said that between March 20, 2024, and March 20, 2025, the I4C sent online companies, including WhatsApp, Instagram, X, Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Skype, a total of 426 notices under Section 79(3)(b) which included blocking directions for more than 1 lakh pieces of content, ranging from deepfakes and obscenity to influencing the electoral process. Not all of these notices were sent through the Sahyog portal, since it came into being only in October 2024, as a central repository of such notices issued by the various authorised government stakeholders. In its challenge against the Sahyog portal, X has also sought protection for its representatives and employees against coercive action for not joining Sahyog, a Ministry of Home Affairs portal, which it alleged, was a 'Censorship Portal'. The next date of hearing in the case is April 24. The two content blocking regimes have varied levels of safeguards. While experts say both are far from ideal, under Section 69(A) orders, companies get an opportunity of hearing, the limit of blocking is limited to national security and public order related reasons, and companies receive a reasoned, albeit publicly confidential order. Under Section 79(3)(b) blocking orders, these safeguards are absent.
CNN
21-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk's X sues India in new censorship battle
India's IT ministry has unlawfully expanded censorship powers to allow the easier removal of online content and empowered 'countless' government officials to execute such orders, Elon Musk's X has alleged in a new lawsuit against New Delhi. The lawsuit and the allegations mark an escalation in an ongoing legal dispute between X and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over how New Delhi orders content to be taken down. It also comes as Musk is getting closer to launching his other key ventures Starlink and Tesla in India. In the new court filing dated March 5, X argues India's IT Ministry is asking other departments to use a government website launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs last year to issue content blocking orders and mandate social media companies to join the website too. This mechanism, X says, does not contain the stringent Indian legal safeguards on content removal that required such orders to be issued in cases such as harm to sovereignty or public order, and came with strict oversight of top officials. India's IT ministry redirected a Reuters' request for comment to the home affairs ministry, which did not respond. The website creates 'an impermissible parallel mechanism' that causes 'unrestrained censorship of information in India,' X said, adding it is seeking to quash the directive. X's court papers are not public and were reported for the first time by media on Thursday. The case was briefly heard earlier this week by a judge in the High Court of southern Karnataka state but no final decision was reached. It will now be heard on March 27. In 2021, X, formerly called Twitter, was locked in a stand-off with the Indian government over non-compliance of legal orders to block certain tweets related to a farmers' protest against government policies. X later complied following public criticism by officials, but its legal challenge to the decision is continuing in Indian courts.
