Islamabad, July 25, 2024, The Europe Today: The trial run of a new firewall has resulted in the slowing down of social media in Pakistan, officials privy to the development have confirmed. This has sparked fears about the future of internet-based businesses in the country. However, officials assure that internet traffic will return to normal once the trial is complete.
The government allocated over Rs30 billion in the development budget for the acquisition and installation of this filtering system. The Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) was allocated the budget, but the execution of the project is being handled by another power center, leaving the MoIT with a limited role in the operation.
An official disclosed that work on the firewall has been ongoing since January, including the purchase of the system, its installation, and now its commissioning. The commissioning process is expected to take several weeks. When asked about the impact on internet-based businesses, the official acknowledged potential concerns but clarified that businesses are not the primary target.
Another official explained that the firewall aims to curb the influence of social media influencers who, the government believes, spread fake news. The goal is to reduce their reach by blocking or limiting the visibility of their content. This effort complements ongoing actions under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016, with courts being established to prosecute those accused under this law.
Despite the firewall being in its trial phase, a recent advertisement by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) suggested that documentation for this purchase is still underway. An advertisement on July 11 invited tenders for the “supply, installation, and configuration of Next Generation Firewalls (Ex-Chinese brand – LOT A), Web Application Firewall (WAF) [LOT B] for five years with hardware warranty Next Business Day (NBD) and Support (24/7/365).” The closing date for submissions is July 26.
A PTA spokesperson clarified that this tender is for a separate firewall, intended solely for PTA’s internal IT infrastructure. The procurement aims to enhance the security of PTA’s internal systems, to be used exclusively at PTA’s primary data center and its Disaster Recovery site. The tender involves the acquisition of four Next Generation Firewalls and two Web Application Firewalls to ensure robust, layered security for PTA’s internal applications.
As the firewall trial continues, concerns about its impact on the digital landscape in Pakistan remain. However, officials assure that measures are being taken to ensure the firewall’s primary focus is on security and curbing misinformation, without unduly affecting legitimate internet-based businesses.
