In 2012, YouTube was banned in Pakistan because of a foreign-made blasphemous video published on the platform. Many other videos were also found to be deeply hurtful to the religious sentiments of Muslims, the majority faith in Pakistan. The ban was a huge deal because of the popularity of the platform that served countless positive and constructive purposes, besides music and videos. Despite the uproar and condemnation of the ban, it lasted for years, and was finally lifted in 2016.
Years later, the question is still troubling: can the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, on its own or on the order of government of Pakistan, do the same thing again in this era where access to information is unstoppable and millions of people make all kinds of content for digital platforms for entertainment and financial reasons?…
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
