Daily Times

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Information Technology was briefed on Monday regarding the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020 by officials of the Ministry of Information and Technology.

The members of the committee were told that a national coordinator for overviewing social media activities would be appointed by the federal IT Ministry.

“Under the rules, the social media companies are bound to remove illegal material from their sites within 24 hours of the complaint,” the briefing said adding that they would be further directed to open their offices in Islamabad and establish their data bank within the country.

The national coordinator of the social media company will be fined upto Rs 500 million for violating the rules, the IT officials said while shedding a light on the rules prepared by a ministerial committee led by secretary law.

He said that the cabinet has already approved social media rules on January 28.

Asked as to why a national coordinator could not be appointed, the secretary IT cited the delay due to the absence of the federal minister owing to his resignation from the post, which is yet to be approved by the premier. It is pertinent to mention here that in pursuance of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directions, a committee has been formed to start the consultation process on Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020.

The committee comprises Amir Azeem Bajwa, the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (convener), Eazaz Aslam Dar, the additional secretary of Ministry of IT and Telecom, Tania Aidrus, member of Strategic Reforms Implementation Unit, and Dr Arslan Khalid, focal person to the Prime Minister on Digital Media. The committee will undertake an extensive and broad-based consultation process with all relevant segments of civil society and technology companies about these rules. The process will be completed within two months.