Islamabad:
In the context of the recent murder of a Tiktoker, the National IT intervention team of Pakistan (CERT) has issued an opinion, noting that women continue to face persistent threats such as abuses based on image and digital harassment in Pakistan.
The Council – entitled Sure, diligent and responsible use of social media – painted a striking image of the landscape of digital threats in Pakistan, highlighting the risks which affect millions, in particular children, women and elderly users – who are more and more vulnerable to exploitation, disinformation, emotional manipulation and online violence.
The CERT noted that these threats are aggravated by inadequate reports of reports and low digital literacy, while signaling a disturbing increase in cyber-incidents affecting children, including explicit content and online grooming.
Depending on the notice, platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, Whatsapp and Facebook dominate the digital space, especially among young people, offering ways for expression, education and activism.
“However, these platforms are also a fertile field for disinformation campaigns, phishing scams, identity, harassment and psychological manipulation motivated by algorithms.”
A young Tiktker, Sana Yousuf, was tragically shot in the federal capital on June 2.
The suspect, Umar Hayat, 22 – also creator of social media content – is said to have killed Sana after rejecting his friendship offer. Sana Yousuf, 17, had more than a million followers on social networks,
The opinion said that manipulation of user emotions through provocative content and the constant comparison favored by organized online lives have also contributed to increasing stress and mental health problems.
