New Firewall to Monitor, Block Social Media Content in Pakistan

News Desk 

Islamabad: The government is advancing plans to implement a nationwide firewall across all internet service providers (ISPs), aiming to enhance control over social media usage through deep packet inspection. 

The Ministry of Interior has completed a successful trial phase for this firewall, which demonstrated its capability to block images, voice recordings, and video downloads on social media platforms.

Additionally, the firewall effectively reduced mobile internet speeds and monitored for data leaks.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all mobile companies to prepare for the installation of this new system, with the costs being shared between the government and ISPs.

The PTA will oversee the installation process.

This initiative, designed to filter social media data and block content at the IP level, draws parallels with China’s approach to internet regulation.

The new firewall will use Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to detect and block sensitive content based on keywords.

It is expected to operate similarly to the web monitoring system acquired from a Canadian firm in 2018, which is currently being upgraded.

The completion of the trial phase marks a significant step in the government’s effort to regulate social media within Pakistan.