Amnesty International urges Pakistani authorities to provide greater transparency on internet slowdown

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 26 : Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities to provide greater transparency on the internet disruption and the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
The rights group's demand comes as Internet speeds in Pakistan have witnessed a decline over the past few weeks and users are facing problems in sending or downloading media and voice notes on WhatsApp when they are using mobile data, Dawn reported. People even experience slow internet speeds while using broadband.
In a statement, the rights group said, "Amnesty International urges the Pakistani 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."
It expressed concern over the opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down, and control Internet speeds.
Amnesty International stated, "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 incompatible with human rights," it said.
The rights group stated that these pervasive tools undermine online freedom of expression and access to information. It called the internet necessary for the people's right to be informed, citizen self-expression, e-commerce, and the digital economy.
It further said that internet disruption causes anxiety among Pakistani people who live outside the country as they are unable to communicate with their loved ones, according to a Dawn report.
Last week, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that people have been experiencing slow internet due to "faulty submarine cable" and clarified that no firewalls were being installed, after facing criticism from lawmakers and the public.
During a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on IT, PTA Chairman Retired Major General Hafeezur Rehman said, "The internet slowdown in the country is due to a faulty submarine cable, which is expected to be repaired by August 28.
He said that the government's web management system -- and not a firewall -- was being upgraded. He mentioned, "In my opinion, the internet should not slow down due to an upgrade." He said, "The telecom [sector] has suffered a loss of [Rs] 300 million."
The Islamabad High Court had directed the government and the PTA to respond by August 26 over senior journalist Hamid Mir's petition against the nationwide internet slowdown, Dawn reported.
The business community and internet service providers (ISPs) had alleged that the government's efforts to monitor internet traffic -- including a so-called 'firewall' -- had created a slowdown of digital services loss, leading to economic losses.
Meanwhile, social media users and freelancers have been facing difficulties in Pakistan due to disruption in Internet services, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. The Internet disruption has caused mental stress for many, especially youth who depend on the Internet for their livelihood.
A significant number of Pakistani youth have been impacted by the slow internet speed, which has affected their work and resulted in clients not coming to them for work. In Karachi, a school student Ezhaan, who works online after school, is struggling to cope with the loss of his online clients due to slow internet speed, ARY News reported.
He was working on a large project with 60 orders. However, he is now facing numerous hurdles due to the slow internet, according to ARY News report.
According to the report, several firms that provide work to freelancers have stopped functioning in Pakistan due to the slow internet speed. In addition, Pakistan's reputation in the international market has been affected due to slow internet.
Moreover, taxpayers are facing difficulty in filing their income tax returns due to slow internet, with many complaining that the FBR's online form was not opening and documents could not be uploaded.