Wikipedia is Now Bans in Pakistan over ‘sacrilegious content’ by PTA: spokesperson

Wikipedia has been blocked in Pakistan by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for failing to "block/remove sacrilegious information" within the allotted 48 hours, a spokesperson stated on Saturday.

Wikipedia is a free, open-source, editable online encyclopedia that millions of people use as a starting point for basic knowledge.

Because Wikipedia had not complied with orders to remove content that was problematic from the website, the PTA had on Wednesday downgraded Wikipedia services across the nation.

By issuing a notification pursuant to applicable law and court order, Wikipedia was asked to prohibit or remove the requested contents (s). A hearing opportunity was also given, but the platform didn't take advantage of it by eliminating the offensive material or showing up in front of the authority.

The regulator claimed that neither the website had complied with its requirements nor removed the problematic content.

PTA spokesperson Malahat Obaid told Dawn.com that the main reason for the ban's imposition was failure to follow the orders.

The spokeswoman continued, "The decision can be revisited once Wikipedia removes sacrilegious content that has been detected by the regulatory authority."

Twitter users in Pakistan criticize PTA for their move to "degrade" Wikipedia.

When attempting to access the website, users are greeted with "this site cannot be reached."

The organization that controls Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation, stated yesterday that it "does not make choices around what content is included on Wikipedia or how that content is maintained."

It continued, "By design, this is done to make sure that articles are the outcome of many individuals working together to decide what information should be provided on the site, resulting in richer, more balanced articles."

"We think that everyone has the right to access knowledge. The largest free knowledge repository is inaccessible to Pakistan due to a block on Wikipedia. Pakistan is the world's fifth most populous country. If it continues, everyone would lose access to Pakistan's history and culture, the statement continued.

"We hope that the Pakistan government joins with the Wikimedia Foundation in a commitment to knowledge as a human right and promptly restores access to Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, so that the people of Pakistan can continue to receive and share knowledge with the world," the statement continues.

The telecom regulator said in a statement earlier this week that it had contacted Wikipedia to request that the offending content be blocked or removed under "relevant law and court order(s)"

The platform was given a chance to be heard, but neither complied by removing the offensive material nor showed up in front of the authority, according to the statement.

The statement said, "Given the platform's deliberate refusal to comply with the PTA's orders, Wikipedia services have been downgraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported information.

Wikipedia would be blocked in the nation if the regulator's warning was disregarded, and its restoration would be "reconsidered subject to blocking/removal of the reported unlawful content."

Suppression of dissent

Campaigners for free speech have drawn attention to what they claim is a trend of increasing government censorship of print and electronic media.

Usama Khilji, a proponent of digital rights, told AFP that "there has just been a determined push to establish greater control over content on the internet." "The fundamental goal is to put an end to any disagreement. Blasphemy is frequently used as a weapon for that reason.

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," according to Khilji. Courts and the regulator must recognize this.

He described the prohibition as "disproportionate, unconstitutional, and rather stupid" in a statement to AFP yesterday.

Using the Hammer of a Ban

The authority has already taken note of undesirable content on the platform. The PTA has sent warnings to Google Inc. and Wikipedia in December 2020 for "disseminating sacrilegious content."

From 2012 to 2016, YouTube was restricted in Pakistan. The nation has also frequently restricted the hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok in recent years due to its "indecent" and "immoral" content.

Further reference link is given below:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1735273