Govt Blocks 80,000 SIMs to Curb Fake News, Announces New Measures
Cabinet Secretary Calls for PECA Amendments to Tackle Fake News
ISLAMABAD: Cabinet Division Parliamentary Secretary Sajid Mehdi told the National Assembly on Wednesday that the federal government has blocked 80,000 mobile SIMs for spreading fake news.
Responding to a notice in the assembly regarding fake news on social media platforms, the secretary said that the government has initiated various steps to address this challenge.
He highlighted the formation of a joint task force in this regard and said that the task force has submitted its report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He also stressed the need for amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to better deal with this issue. He said that the amendments are needed to expedite the trial of cases related to the spread of fake news.
He also highlighted the move to register virtual private networks (VPNs) as part of the measures to address the challenge of fake news and better monitor online activities.
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The secretary was confident that these steps would improve the prevention of the spread of fake news. He pointed out that an awareness campaign has also been launched to inform citizens about the dangers and consequences of spreading fake news.
