The government has officially confirmed the enforcing of an advanced Web Management System with the purpose of better regulation and management of online content within the country.
The system, recently upgraded by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, independently monitors, detects, and blocks websites along with mobile applications involved in unlawful activities, leakage of personal data, or carrying what they call harmfully nugatory content against national institutions.
The Cabinet Division officially informed the National Assembly of the installation and activation of the WMS. As submitted in the report of the division, the PTA has already blocked 2,369 URLs and 183 mobile applications containing material in violation of legal and procedural safeguards for internet users.
This upgraded functionality of the WMS allows the PTA to autonomously carry out content blocking, which multiplies the effectiveness and agility of the system by leaps and bounds.
The integration of advanced DPI capabilities will hence enable the WMS to monitor and control internet traffic at a gateway level. The technology is fundable in the identification and blocking of content that may pose a threat to national security or breed the spread of misinformation against government establishments.
It works to keep the obscene and hate materials away from publication on the internet. The new autonomous system at the PTA is filtering and blocking all IDs involved in spreading propaganda against national institutions to make sure hostile online activities do not damage state integrity and security.
Internet slowdown
Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued a statement regarding the recent slowdown in internet services across Pakistan. According to the PTA, the primary cause of the disruption is the failure of several international submarine cables.
Out of the seven submarine cables that connect Pakistan to global internet networks, two have suffered significant damage. The PTA highlighted that the AAE-1 submarine cable has already been repaired, which is expected to alleviate some internet issues.
However, the PTA also noted that the SMW4 submarine cable is still experiencing faults, with repairs anticipated to be completed by October. The restoration of the AAE-1 cable is expected to improve the overall internet situation in Pakistan, but full resolution of the issues will depend on the timely repair of the SMW4 cable.
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The authority had earlier said Pakistan's internet users would continue facing disruptions in service even after the deadline set by the PTA for the resolution. With the country inching into its 21st day of slow internet, officials hinted full restoration would take more time.
Last week, PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman had addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the installation of a firewall system, confirming its existence in a carefully worded statement.
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“It is not some new firewall system, but rather an upgraded version of the web management system introduced during the PTI government,” he had clarified in a heated session of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Information Technology.
The committee members were seeking clarification as to what the system was and what its purpose would be, leading to intense discussions. He further reassured the members that this is the very web management system that was approved in the year 2019 under the PTI and not some new firewall being presented.
