Threat to ban Twitter.

In its own words, 'Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about right now.'

With more than 400 million active users from all over the globe, around 300 million daily served  tweets and 1.6 billion search queries answered everyday, this microblogging site is no joke. It is serious and the fastest medium to send information out there in today's world. But, this poor site is gonna be in deep trouble in Pakistan  if dare not to oblibed. 

How disobedient !

To teach a lesson, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) threaten this wilful site to be banned in Pakistan for not complying with its directive to block ‘objectionable content.' The officials informed the Senate Standing Com­mittee on Cabinet Secre­tariat on August 16  about server misconduct by Twitter. 

“Out of a hundred requests from Pakistan to block certain offensive material, roughly five per cent are entertained. Twitter ignores all the remaining requests,” Director General of PTA’s Internet Policy and Web Analysis, Nisar Ahmed, told the committee.

Did you just see what Twitter did? 

Not only it ignored the request of PTA, it didn't even bother to respond. For your kind information, PTA can ban it just like they banned Facebook twice in 2008 and 2010; Youtube was banned for two years from 2012 to 2014.

The official also told the committee that Twitter was not as popular in Pakistan as Facebook, and so they had little to lose if Twitter was blocked. However, the platform would lose business if it was shut down in the country, the senior official told the members. “The court is determined to teach Twitter a lesson — they will lose business,” he added.

Twitter is not taking us seriously. The whole company will be busted because of this ban. PTA is authority, Mr. 

They can do anything. Be afraid. Be very very afraid, you Twitter ! 

Ok. Sorry. 

The last one was a lame joke. These type of lame jokes only come to me when someone desperately  tries to be over smart, but inn't a very normal thing to do in third world countries by third world people: Threat anyone who doesn't oblige.  

On a serious note, people who are dealing with this "offensive material on any social networking sites" are social media illiterates. They have this strange kinda assumption that just because they are authority they can say and do whatever they feel like. The can bring any one on its knees if dare to disobey.

They don't mind being butt of the joke in front of the whole world. Due to  lack of common sense and old habit of living in fools paradise we have to see such ill mannered statements from authorities. Someone please tell them that Twitter is not obliged to listen Pakistan.

Objectionable material are supposed to be "reported" to Twitter or any social networking sites. There is a proper channel to do so and that's the way it work. Users report it.  They,  then go through it and decide on their own.

Anyway.

Thing with  bans is that, they never work.  Threats to ban are old tactics. It should have no value in  today's free world. Twitter  did the right thing not to respond to such childish requests. Banning social networking sites simply  means forced censorship. It is just a recipe of disaster in this age of information. It's users will find a way to use it any how just like the used it when Facebook ad Youtube was banned. 

And if they think this will give the message to world that they are powerful and banned xyz whenever missed behave then:  Oh, boy. I have never seen such delusion !

PTA got nothing from banning Facebook and Youtube in the past. Let me rain your parade little bit more, it doesn't effect their business either. While talking to Dawn, Digital Right expert Nighat Dad is right by saying that these bans and shutdowns only serve to destabilise the image of the country. Other countries are moving forward taking advantage of the digital age but Pakistan is still afraid of the internet.

Twitter is a micro blogging site. Comparing it with  the popularity of Facebook shows that those who are dealing with this issue have zero idea about internet and how social networking sites work.  It is widely use in Pakistan for microblogging.

Thing regarding objectionable material is that as time is passing,  level of tolerance is decreasing in Pakistani society. Every other thing is offending to someone here. It has become a norm to police anyone who doesn't obey.

Objectionable material on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and other such sites is bigger problem to Pakistan and Pakistani people than other existing issues of Pakistan.  It get to an extreme level that people got kidnaped and even murdered. Unfortunately, there is no hospital in this whole world to treat those who get offended all the time. 

It is right time for  Pakistan to understand  the concept of freedom of speech.  They can't control and regulate which is not theirs.  World is moving on. Regulating and controlling is so 20th century. People of Pakistan should also grow up instead of crying over petty things. This strange urge to  threat  others need to go.