Filtering Content on the Internet
Block, ban, censor. These seem to be the only options ever considered by the Pakistan government when it comes to the Internet. Ever since the 2010 ban on Facebook was imposed and subsequently lifted,...
View ArticleThe Dangers of a Content Filtration System
What would happen if a content filtration system such as the one The National ICT R&D Fund has advertised seeking proposals for were put in place? How would it affect the privacy of Internet users...
View ArticleGNI Learning Forum 2012: Rights, practices and expression on the Internet
The Global Network Initiative hosted its first Learning Forum in Washington DC on June 14, 2012. The discussion centred on safeguarding human rights, privacy and freedom of expression on the Internet....
View ArticleYour personal information should not be up for grabs
As offline protests continue against rigging in the polls, social media in Pakistan has also been taken by a storm. So enraged are voters and supporters, that they have been making use of every...
View ArticleUnderstanding how HTTPS works with Ahmed, Bilal & Uncle Tipu
The Internet is inherently collaborative in nature. Every time your computer needs to talk to another computer somewhere in the world, it breaks up the message into smaller manageable chunks called...
View ArticleTo the Government: Do YOU have something to hide?
The very term “inviolable” (as claimed under Article 14 of Pakistan’s constitution) suggests that the right of privacy is something that can neither be broken nor be contested. Yet, as the world of...
View ArticleRight to be Forgotten: Privacy, Censorship or Neither?
All of us, at some stage or the other, have typed our names into various search engines. Some have been met by a wall of fame meticulously archiving all their wonderful achievements. Others, including...
View ArticleThe American Nightmare: Privacy Vs Security
Benjamin Franklin, who is regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of the nation that proudly sings the Star-Spangled Banner, once said, “Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do...
View ArticleWhither Privacy: Unkept Promises of Social Media Apps
Privacy is a core concern in a world where social media and mobile phone apps are the main focus for people. Sadly, most people do not realize the fact that the only privacy social media or apps leave...
View ArticleInternet of Things: Savior or Surveillant?
Looking back 20 years from now, who would’ve thought anything like the internet would ever exist? Days when the most convenient source of communication were landlines and the only way to socialise was...
View ArticleResources on Filtering and Surveillance in Pakistan
It comes as no surprise, especially after the Snowden revelations, that surveillance is taking place in Pakistan. Privacy International's report only confirms what Bolo Bhi, like many others, have...
View ArticleSurveillance in Pakistan: A Look at Privacy International’s Report
Fact: Over 70% of Pakistan’s population has mobile phone subscriptions Fact: 11% (approximately) of Pakistan’s population uses the Internet Fact: All those using the above-mentioned services are under...
View ArticleSnooper Diaries
About #SnooperDiaries: We read about Hacking Team and its involvement in Pakistan. And then the Privacy International report on surveillance in Pakistan. We of course knew about FinFisher already. So...
View ArticleEntry #1: July 29, 2015
About #SnooperDiaries: We read about Hacking Team and its involvement in Pakistan. And then the Privacy International report on surveillance in Pakistan. We of course knew about FinFisher already. So...
View ArticleBolo Bhi challenges Section 9.8 of Telecom Policy in Court
Bolo Bhi has amended its existing petition before the Islamabad High Court challenging the government and PTA’s powers to block content online, to include Section 9.8 of the Telecom Policy launched by...
View ArticleFacebook Security Breach and What You Should Do
Friday, 5th October 2018 - Facebook reported a massive security breach that compromised the accounts of up to 50 million users. Company officials have been unable to determine the scope of the attack,...
View ArticleData Protection Law
The introduction of a draft law on data protection and privacy by the IT and telecom ministry is a welcome step. In the absence of such a law, Pakistani citizens have had their privacy breached and...
View ArticleInternet Surveillance
REPORTS of the government installing the Web Monitoring System (WMS) first came to prominence when questions relating to its set-up were raised in the Senate regarding the type of company that has been...
View ArticleOpen Letter to Facebook
7 October 2019 Dear Mr. Zuckerberg, OPEN LETTER: FACEBOOK’S END-TO-END SECURITY PLANS The organizations below write today to encourage you, in no uncertain terms, to continue increasing the end-to-end...
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