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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has heard the new social media regulations case today.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case in which the court issued notices to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and other respondents to submit their response in the same case i.e. the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules 2020.
During the hearing, the court rejected the request to immediately suspend the applicability of the Citizens Protection.
The move came after a petition was filed against. In the petition, the petitioner said that the government aimed to reduce the freedom of expression by controlling social media.
He requested the court to ask the government about the status of the new rules being imposed on social media in the country.
According to the new set of rules, companies like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok are required to register and establish an office in Islamabad within three months. Such social media platforms and companies have been conditioned to appoint a focal person in Pakistan and build a data server in the country within a year.
The new rules stated that the permissibility of any online content, by the Authority or the National Coordinator under law, rule, regulation or instruction, shall take precedence over any policies or any other devices.
Read more: IHC extends hearing of Presidential Ordinance case till March 12