The federal government has opted to deploy advanced firewalls from China to regulate social media content and restrict undesirable material from reaching a broader audience, according to sources from Netmag.
Under this arrangement, both the federal government and local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will share the financial responsibility for these firewalls. While the government will cover a portion of the costs, ISPs will bear the remainder. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed ISPs to block illegal content in accordance with the conditions of their operational licenses. Equipped with deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, these firewalls will be implemented by local ISPs. This decision was reached following extensive deliberations involving the PTA, officials from the IT Ministry, and local ISPs. Despite some resistance from ISPs, the PTA stood firm on its stance.
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The new system will have the capability to block online content at the IP level, bypassing the need to go through mobile applications.
The PTA will supervise the installation and operation of these firewalls, ensuring their effective use to curb the dissemination of illegal content and uphold national security.
Sources indicate that these firewalls will meticulously scrutinize data at the application layers of up to the 7-Layer OSI model. This level of control will grant the government significant authority in identifying and blocking specific propaganda points and IDs on social media platforms.
