‘Brazil-Style’ Ban Looms for Social Media Platforms in Pakistan

On Thursday, the government issued a “final warning” to major social media platforms. All social media platforms have been told to align with local regulations or face severe consequences, including a Brazil-style ban.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Aqeel Malik delivered this ultimatum during a briefing with foreign media in Islamabad. They explicitly cited “Brazil-style action” as a potential outcome for non-compliance.

Brazil-Style Ban: The Precedent

The government’s threat is not vague. Ministers pointed directly to Brazil’s crackdown on X last year. In June 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court temporarily blocked the platform. This happened after X refused to remove accounts accused of spreading misinformation about the 2022 elections.

Consequently, the ban was only lifted in October after X paid a massive $5.1 million fine. Additionally, the platform had to appoint a local representative to satisfy Brazilian law. Pakistan is now using this case as a blueprint for its own enforcement strategy.

Demands for Local Presence & AI Integration

Ministers Chaudhry and Malik outlined specific requirements for platforms like X, Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp), YouTube, TikTok, and Telegram. Chaudhry declared:

This is our last warning.

To avoid a ban, these companies must:

• Establish physical offices within Pakistan.
• Deploy AI and algorithmic tools to detect and remove terror-linked accounts proactively.
• Share IP addresses of accounts associated with militancy.
• Implement advanced filtering to prevent banned users from creating duplicate accounts.

Authorities claim they have identified numerous accounts linked to US and UN-proscribed militant organisations. Officials argue that this cross-border online activity directly fuels radicalization and security challenges in the region.

X Labelled “Least Cooperative”

While the warning applies to all, the government singled out X. Chaudhry described the platform as the “least cooperative” regarding previous requests. In contrast, TikTok and Telegram have shown “relatively better compliance”.

This escalation follows a comprehensive briefing given to these platforms on July 24. However, officials deem the subsequent responses insufficient. Malik emphasized that Pakistan has discussed this issue with the platforms’ host governments as well. Malik stated:

Pakistan is a frontline state against terrorism.

He warned that the world must cooperate, or the government will be forced to take decisive action against these tech giants.