PTA bans Wikipedia in Pakistan over ‘sacrilegious content’: spokesperson

[muhammadhafeezmalik]

PTA bans Wikipedia in Pakistan over ‘sacrilegious content’: spokesperson​

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has banned popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia in the country for not “blocking/removing sacrilegious content” within the 48-hour deadline given to the website, a spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.


Wikipedia is the free, editable online encyclopedia often used as a starting point by millions across the world for basic information.


The PTA had on Wednesday degraded Wikipedia services countrywide for not complying with the directives for the removal of controversial content from the website.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1620748008303509504

The regulator said the website had neither responded to its requests, nor taken down the content in question.


Speaking to Dawn.com, PTA spokesperson Malahat Obaid said the ban had primarily been imposed for non-compliance with the orders.


“The decision can be reviewed once Wikipedia removes sacrilegious content that has been identified by the regulatory authority,” the spokesperson added.

Users are met with “this site cannot be reached” when trying to access the website.

The message one sees when going to Wikipedia.



In a statement earlier this week, the telecom regulator said it had approached Wikipedia to block or remove the content in question by issuing a notice under “applicable law and 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 statement had said.


“Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of PTA, the services of Wikipedia have been degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported content,” the statement added.


The regulator warned that in case of non-compliance, Wikipedia would be blocked in the country and its restoration would be “reconsidered subjecting to blocking/removal of the reported unlawful content”.


This is not the first time the authority has taken notice of objectionable content on the platform. In December 2020, the PTA had issued notices to Wikipedia and Google Inc for “disseminating sacrilegious content”.

PTA bans Wikipedia in Pakistan over ‘sacrilegious content’: spokesperson

Says decision can be reviewed if Wikipedia removes the content.

www.dawn.com

 

[CLUMSY]

Lol this country and its tharak with banning what is seen as blasphemous

 

[villageidiot]

Someone tell them wikipedia is a non-profit and they are only harming Pakistanis who want to plagiarize essays

 

[313ghazi]

MashaAllah.

Sara Internet band kar do.

Anyone who wants **** can access ISPR via WhatsApp.

What a chutiya govt. For years these duffers banned YouTube, now the retards take a panga with Wikipedia.

 

[villageidiot]

MashaAllah.

Sara Internet band kar do.

Anyone who wants **** can access ISPR via WhatsApp.

What a chutiya govt. For years these duffers banned YouTube, now the retards take a panga with Wikipedia.

Which raises the point, does banning blashpemy make it okay? Just because you don't see it? Then should we start ignoring when goras burn the Quran and defame the Prophet PBUH, by this logic? Just ignore, don't tell anyone you saw it, and going about your day?

 

[STREANH]

I guess they don't want the population to gain knowledge/information and remain ignorant.

Sacrilegious content is just a stupid excuse. You have to ban the whole internet if you make that excuse.

 

[villageidiot]

I guess they don't want the population to gain knowledge/information and remain ignorant.

Tried and tested. Pretty soon twitter and FB will also be banned for blasphemy to curtail access to information.

 

[Suriya]

Pakistan wants to keep people ignorant anyway, banning wikipidea only helps that purpose.

 

[Pakistani E]

Pakistan wants to keep people ignorant anyway, banning wikipidea only helps that purpose.

Pakistan's two pronged assault on intellectualism and advancement continues with its banning of everything that offends their feelings and partaking wholly in repeated cousin marraiges.

"THE few studies1,2 in which the effects of inbreeding on cognitive performance have been examined revealed that offspring of first-cousin marriages had lower IQ scores than offspring of unrelated parents."

Effects of inbreeding on cognitive performance - Nature

THE few studies1,2 in which the effects of inbreeding on cognitive performance have been examined revealed that offspring of first-cousin marriages had lower IQ scores than offspring of unrelated parents. These studies were, however, performed in societies where the population engaging in such...

www.nature.com

Then Pakistanis wonder why the country is in such a bad spot and why any foreign investor who is brought here runs away with some empty promises and pies-in-the-sky figures of "investment".

 

[CLUMSY]

They will slowly keep doing this until we become North Korea or China. When the internet gets banned they will indoctrinate people by the government mandated curriculum (already happening).

This is why you dont let the government hold so much power, it is a very slippery slope

 

[TheSolution]

They will slowly keep doing this until we become North Korea or China. When the internet gets banned they will indoctrinate people by the government mandated curriculum (already happening).

This is why you dont let the government hold so much power, it is a very slippery slope

China is based.

North Korea is not.

Also you're severely exaggerating stuff, they're not this competent, it's just a religious stunt

 

[_NOBODY_]

China is based.

North Korea is not.

Also you're severely exaggerating stuff, they're not this competent, it's just a religious stunt

Authoritarian system is not suitable for Pakistan. Whoever comes in power here desires control more than anything else. Chinese government gave up a lot of their power and gave it to the private sector and this resulted in the Chinese economic miracle. Chinese government isn't as authoritarian as the West makes it ought to be, if don't believe me then go visit the country. CCP is always getting blasted on WeChat by the Chinese people. If you visit China, you will be shocked by the diversity of thought among the Chinese. Also, Chinese people use VPN all time to access the content of the rest of the world and the CCP is perfectly fine with this. Their censorship is more of a formality than full pledged censorship. The CCP knows about the dangers of censorship unlike the retarded governments like that of Pakistan, Iran and North Korea.

Neoliberal economic system is the way to go, handover everything to the private sector. At least there's accountability in this model in the form of profits unlike our current system. Also, this system is highly efficient, this system eats those who aren't the most efficient. South Korean model is the most ideal model for Pakistan.

 

[CLUMSY]

China is based.

North Korea is not.

Also you're severely exaggerating stuff, they're not this competent, it's just a religious stunt

How is China "based"?????
Its an authoritarian hellhole carrying out mass surveillance on its citizens.
Yeah they arent really that competent, but it sets a dangerous precedent

 

[CivilianSupremacy]

Perhaps ours will be the first country that has ever banned Wikipedia. The content is anyway written by hundreds and thousands of users. Its not wikipedia fault. They simply cannot check the whole content themselves. Silly move.

 

[_NOBODY_]

How is China "based"?????
Its an authoritarian hellhole carrying out mass surveillance on its citizens.
Yeah they arent really that competent, but it sets a dangerous precedent

Mass surveillance exists in the West too in fact, London has more surveillance cameras per capita than every single Chinese city.