Tech Desk 
Nov 05, 2024
Following the purported installation of an internet firewall and fully restored internet services in Pakistan, experts at a roundtable conference conducted at the National Institute of Public Policy (NIPP) urged that social media regulations should be balanced.
Deliberating on ethical social media use, they were of the view that such regulations must be in line with national laws to protect civil rights and ensure national security.
Presided over by NIPP Rector Dr Ijaz Munir and moderated by Dean Dr Naveed Ehali, the meeting was attended by experts from academia, digital rights, and media.
National Institute of Management (NIM) Director General Farooq Mazhar, LUMS Associate Professor Dr Taimur Rehman, PU's Digital Media School Chairperson Dr Savera Shami, Digital Rights Foundation Executive Director Nighat Daad, Daily Pakistan journalist Usman Shami, and Dr Fareed Zafar, another Associate Professor at LUMS, were among keynote speakers.
The meeting focused on the unchecked spread of social media, navigating loopholes in the existing regulations and their enforcement.
Dr Fareed Zafar outlined the need to educate the public on appropriate social media use, pointing to the damage inherent in misinformation and sensationalism. Hu further stressed to solidify cybersecurity laws with their subsequent implementation.
Similarly, Dr Taimur Rehman emphasised effective regulation, advocating media literacy to normalise responsible social media use among the general public while noting the importance of well-designed laws to resolve such regulatory challenges.
Professor Dr Savera Shami urged social media companies to establish offices in Pakistan to pave the foundations of a regulated environment, as she called for putting an end to extremism and hate speech in a timely manner.
