PTA blocks Wikipedia across Pakistan


The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Saturday blocked Wikipedia services in the country on account of not blocking or removing "sacrilegious content"

Wikipedia has been blocked in Pakistan

Today, Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority blocked @Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects in the country

Follow the thread for more information 🧵⬇️ (1/4)https://t

co/8xM73if9B2 — Wikimedia Foundation (@Wikimedia) February 4, 2023 According to a statement from the Wikimedia Foundation, "On 1 February, we received a notification from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority stating 'the services of Wikipedia have been degraded for 48 hours' for failure to remove content deemed 'unlawful'

 As of 3 February, our data shows this has extended into a full block"

It continued that a block of the platform in Pakistan would deny the fifth most populous nation in the world access to the "largest free knowledge repository" and would "deprive everyone access to Pakistan's history and culture"

It hoped that the government of Pakistan joined it in a commitment to knowledge as a human right and restore access to Wikipedia promptly "so that the people of Pakistan can continue to receive and share knowledge with the world"

"We believe that access to knowledge is a human right," the statement added

Read Senator urges Apple, Google to kick TikTok out of app stores Earlier this week, the PTA degraded Wikipedia for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported content

The authority also warned that non-compliance would lead to the platform being blocked within Pakistan

"Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law & court order(s)

An opportunity of hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the authority," the PTA said in its earlier statement

"The restoration of the services of Wikipedia will be reconsidered subject to blocking/removal of the reported unlawful contents

PTA is committed to ensuring a safe online experience for all Pakistani citizens according to local laws," it further said

The site was blocked after it failed to remove the “sacrilegious content”

This is not the first time the authority has taken notice of objectionable content on Wikipedia

In December 2020, PTA had issued notices to Google and Wikipedia on account of disseminating sacrilegious content through the platforms

Read US envoy, Pakistan officials discuss Afghan Taliban ban on women Reactions to the block Citizens across Pakistan decried the Wikipedia blockage

Activist Usama Khilji stated that "courts and regulators must realise that Wikipedia is a crowd-sourced platform where anyone with an account can edit articles, which they can also do instead of blocking the entire website"

Wikipedia, World’s largest encyclopaedia, appears to be blocked in Pakistan by @PTAofficialpk Courts & regulator must realise that Wikipedia is a crowd-sourced platform where anyone with an account can edit articles, which they can also do instead of blocking the entire website pic

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com/wIEZzGktio — Usama Khilji (@UsamaKhilji) February 3, 2023 Journalist Shiraz Hassan said, "Wikipedia has been completely blocked in Pakistan probably because some babu thought that it's an excellent idea to deprive Pakistanis from accessing free source of information

" Wikipedia has been completely blocked in #Pakistan probably because some babu thought that it's an excellent idea to deprive Pakistanis from accessing free source of information

— Shiraz Hassan (@ShirazHassan) February 4, 2023 ESPN editor Danyal Rasool maintained that Pakistan picking a fight with Wikipedia summed up its attitude to the Internet, and to the pursuit of knowledge Pakistan picking a fight with *Wikipedia* perfectly sums up its attitude to the Internet, and to the pursuit of knowledge — Danyal Rasool (@Danny61000) February 2, 2023 Journalist Khawaja Burhan Uddin questioned if the incumbent government planned on shutting everything down in the country

"This will not impact Wikipedia, but Pakistan and its people"

Wikipedia seems to be blocked in Pakistan after the expiry of PTA's warning to remove "sacrilegious content"

Does the government plan on shutting down everything here? What's next? This will not impact Wikipedia, but Pakistan and its people

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com/iZOw2bVXiD — Khawaja Burhan Uddin (@Khawajaburhan6) February 3, 2023 Barrister Taimur Malik stated that the move was "regressive, harmful for Pakistan’s global image" and showed a "lack of understanding how crowdsourced/edited online information platforms work"

He urged the PTA and government to review the decision immediately

It is now confirmed that Wikipedia has been blocked in Pakistan

The action is regressive, harmful for Pakistan’s global image and shows a lack of understanding how crowd sourced/edited online information platforms work

PTA & Government need to review this decision immediately

— Taimur Malik (@taimur_malik) February 4, 2023 People emphasised that the ban was a "dangerous trend" and urged others to speak up if they had "ever used Wikipedia or benefited from" before the government came "for other platforms"

Wikipedia has been completely banned in Pakistan now

This is such a dangerous trend-- if you've ever used Wikipedia or benefited from it please speak up before they come for other platforms

#SaveWikipedia https://t

co/zLeN3jOzGT — shmyla (@apniISPdot) February 4, 2023 "Pakistan and it's inability to understand how the online world works is baffling

Why on earth would you ban Wikipedia," others questioned

Pakistan and it's inability to understand how the online world works is baffling

Why on earth would you ban #Wikipedia

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com/EdecjBhs8o — Rohan Manzoor (@teenaxta) February 3, 2023 Earlier The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) had "strongly condemned" the downgrading of access to Wikipedia in Pakistan

DRF founder and activist Nighat Dad highlighted that the downgrading was against human rights

"Downgrading & threatening to block within Pakistan is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers", she said

Downgrading & threatening to block @Wikipedia within Pakistan is violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which grants everyone the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers

" https://t

co/8EMXEc7tDe — Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) February 3, 2023  



Date:05-Feb-2023 Reference:View Original Link