Pakistan has suggested the Facebook administration to attach opening of Facebook accounts by mobile numbers to prevail over fake accounts issues.
“Biometric verification system is used for mobile numbers verification in Pakistan. At present Facebook account is being opened via an e-mail, said Rizwan Bashir Secretary IT, adding that Facebook could defeat its issues of fake accounts if all vacant and current accounts are verified by means of phone numbers”.
This he explained in the conference of the National Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication which met with Captain (Retd) Muhammad Safdar in the chair here on Tuesday.
Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), while briefing the committee, believed that 12,977 URLs of blasphemous content are blocked so far.
Further PTA received more than 6,000 complaints online which were reviewed and 350 of them contained blasphemous content that was ultimately blocked.
PTA has established a web analysis cell where 25 personnel are working solely on identifying unlawful content on internet including the blasphemous.
He told the team that Facebook has selected focal person to coordinate with PTA for timely action in opposition to any reported material. “Facebook reiterated their promise toward removal/blocking of the irreligious and objectionable content and certain that they will look up the collaboration and response time”, brief the Chairman PTA.
Further since, February 2017, 137 blasphemous content and links have been blocked by Facebook management for viewership in Pakistan.
Facebook was also inquired to facilitate Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in Pakistan by given them with the necessary data that they asked for. Facebook, in reply, said that it got approximately 1,000 requests in 2016 from Pakistan and about 70% of them have been fulfilled with and that they will carry on to support such requests.
The Committee expressed disapproval over the non-appearance of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials in the meeting and resolute to write to Secretary Interior in this regard.
