Following a hearing in the Islamabad High Court on August 26 over Pakistan’s ongoing internet outages and the lack of transparency surrounding their causes, Amnesty International technologist Jules van Bergen said:
“The lack of transparency from Pakistani authorities regarding their use of surveillance technologies to block content, slow and control internet speeds is a cause for alarm and concern. The use of such technologies, including the National Firewall, has repeatedly proven to be incompatible with human rights.”
The Internet is vital to people’s right to information, self-expression, e-commerce and the enjoyment of the digital economy.
Jure van Bergen, Technologist at AmnestyTech
“These pervasive tools undermine freedom of expression and access to information online. The internet is essential for people’s right to information, civic self-expression, e-commerce and enjoying the digital economy. Internet disruptions create anxiety for Pakistani communities abroad and prevent them from connecting and communicating with their loved ones.
“Amnesty International urges the Pakistani authorities to be transparent about the causes of these internet disruptions and to refrain from imposing a surveillance system that is unnecessary, disproportionate and in violation of international human rights law.”
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A petition against the nationwide internet shutdown has been filed in the Islamabad High Court, with the Chief Justice seeking a response from the government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) by August 26.
Internet speeds across Pakistan have fallen by 40% in the past two weeks, and Pakistani authorities continue to evade any transparency about the acquisition of surveillance technology and the cause of the internet slowdown.
Platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has been banned in Pakistan for six months.
