Pakistan’s internet has slowed to a crawl in recent days. The disruptions have affected millions of users and businesses across the country. Shafi Naeem, a freelance software designer in Karachi, has felt the impact firsthand.
“The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down and control internet speeds is an alarming concern. Time and again, the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be… pic.twitter.com/O3rII5cUDZ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 26, 2024
The websites he uses to find work would not load. Those he had built for clients took hours longer than usual to upload. WhatsApp voice notes and photos from clients would not download.
DIGITAL CHECK-POST
"The damage that has been done to individuals and businesses is irreversible. Pakistan is being viewed as an unstable, unviable market where investment will lead to losses and there is no guarantee of service or data privacy."@dawn_com #RestoreInternetSpeed… pic.twitter.com/544uYComu3— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 25, 2024
“It’s not just bad for business; it’s devastating,” said Mr. Naeem, 39. He estimates he has already lost more than half of his roughly $4,000 monthly income.
The opacity of the authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies is an alarming concern
the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be incompatible with human rightshttps://t.co/Gei1uVleRH
— amnistia . org (@amnistia) August 27, 2024
“Our work depends on fast, reliable internet.”
Pakistan: The internet is critical for the enjoyment of the public’s right to be informed, citizen’s self-expression, e-commerce & the digital economy. Internet disruptions also create anxiety among Pakistani communities outside the country. https://t.co/khOSR5ibUt
— Salman Ahmad (@sufisal) August 26, 2024
The slowdown has fueled claims from rights groups that the Pakistani authorities are introducing technology to surveil and control the country’s internet. The government denies responsibility for the disruptions.
Internet disruptions hinder Pakistani business
Internet speeds have slowed to half their usual rates, according to trade groups and business owners. Files that once were uploaded in minutes take hours. Online calls and video conferencing are plagued by frozen screens and delayed voices.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association, which represents software companies nationwide, said in a statement that it “unequivocally condemns the grave consequences of the hastily implemented national firewall.” The group added that Pakistan’s economy could lose up to $300 million because of the disruptions. Jurre Van Bergen, a technologist, responded to the ongoing internet disruptions and lack of transparency surrounding their cause. “The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down, and control internet speeds is an alarming concern,” he said.
Van Bergen noted that the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be detrimental to online freedom of expression and access to information. He urged authorities to be transparent about the cause of these internet disruptions and ensure that they do not deploy monitoring and surveillance systems that are unnecessary, disproportionate, and in violation of international human rights law. A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court against the nationwide internet shutdowns.
The Chief Justice has sought responses from the government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) by August 26. The call is made for the Pakistani government to uphold the rights of its citizens to free and open internet access. The government is also urged to provide clear and candid information about any disruptions and the technologies used in the process.
