By Sara Nazir

Misinformation has become a growing concern in developing countries where a large population has access to smartphones and social media content. Digitalization, cyberspace and online interconnectedness through the use of online social media platforms have given rise to spread of misinformation, hate speech, and cyber warfare which have emerged as a global concern. The issue has been pressing in Pakistan where social media platforms have escalated the vulnerabilities of technological crimes including fake profiling, morphing, cyber-bullying and disseminating fake news. The country has experienced a flood of fake news and hate speech content in recent times which is targeted towards fulfilling a certain narrative by the external powers aimed at destabilizing the country. Because of weak cyberspace laws and lack of policies towards containing these issues, the problem is on the rise impacting the online users and could potentially be a hazard for state stability.

The social media platforms, once heralded for its freedom of expression, global connectivity, and outreach have become breeding grounds for spreading misinformation in the country. A report issued by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) in 2020, the reporters identified that over 88 percent of the social media reports online comprise of fake news as there is a lack of gatekeeping on social media which makes it ideal for these sources to spread misinformation in the public. Beyond spread of misinformation, cyber warfare has also emerged as a threat to Pakistan because of its vulnerabilities and weak defense system against the external cyber threats. Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to cyber threats because of its weak cyber defense system and ranked at 14 out of 18 countries in Asia-Pacific region in 2020 according to a report published by Global Cyber Security Index. Cyber security services providers Kaspersky also issued a report on Pakistan stating that the number of cyber threats increased by 17 percent in 2023 where the company successfully blocked 16 million cyber-attacks in the same year alone.

Much of this is contributed to India, a regional power house and a technological hub, which has been found involved in spreading misinformation and false narratives in Pakistan at many occasions. The ramifications of which have spread beyond borders and have negative impact for Pakistan in the international arena in terms of diplomatic and economic repercussions. For instance, the uncovering of the Indian fake propaganda by the name of “Indian Chronicles” by the EU DisinfoLab revealed that India had been spreading fake news targeted at Pakistan in the European Union and the UN to serve India agenda is an example of fake news and disinformation carried out by India. The network was spread around 65 countries using 365 websites whose objective was to serve the Indian interests and take down Pakistan on the international forums. Another report issued by the same agency in 2023 also highlighted that the Indian news network “Asian News International” (ANI) has been using fake accounts and sources to spread misinformation about Pakistan and China on several instances globally. Apart from that, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a Government has also reported and removed many social media accounts originating from India that have spread misinformation in Pakistan. This comprises of spread of fake news on issues like civil-military relations, Baluchistan, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), political and economic instability in the country which have had severe repercussions on the national as well as international forums.

Although steps have been taken by the Government of Pakistan to overcome issues of cyber warfare, spread of misinformation and hate news, the country lacks sufficient legislation to counter cyber threats. Pakistan in 2016 passed a cybercrime law known as Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) to counter cyber challenges, but the Act still does not cover several crucial aspects related to cyber security of the country. There is a need to devise stringent cyber security laws in the country to overcome issues like spread of misinformation and hate speech. Other steps include the formation of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), Violent Extremism Prevention Unit (VEPU) Islamabad, National Center for Cyber Security (NCCS), and Pakistan Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) among others. These organizations are charged with identifying and tackling any spread of misinformation and cyber threats to Pakistan in the cyber space.

Addressing the complex nexus of spread of misinformation, hate speech and cyber warfare needs a multifaceted approach where the state as well as the individuals have a role to play. For this purpose, there is a need to promote digital literacy among the digital media users, and promote responsibility in these users ensuring that social media platforms uphold the ethical standards. Also, there is a need to devise a comprehensive policy to overcome the spread of misinformation in Pakistan through online platforms which can help in mitigating hate mongering, false propaganda and fake news in Pakistan on national and international level.