Social media companies would be fined Rs500m for not following PTA rules

ISLAMABAD: If social media platforms fail to comply with the guidelines of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on blocking online content, they could be fined up to Rs500 million.

The federal cabinet, earlier this week, amended the social media rules, called 'Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Contents (Procedures, Oversight and Safeguard) Rules 2021'.  

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication will be issuing a statutory regulatory order (SRO) to implement new rules after getting approved minutes of the cabinet in the next few days, The News reported Friday.

After execution of the new rules, they will have binding effects on social media companies. "Every person or organization would have the right to express and disseminate any online content as enshrined under Article 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973," written in the publication's report.