[governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering

[Arzak Khan]

The main purpose behind placing this filtering box is to allow the government at any time to completely restrict what it desires. Presently ISP have been instructed to do it but than the chain becomes complicated and long for these internet restrictions to be implemented. Also ISPs do need to consider the business case for such kind of blocking and filtering e.g. in the event of blocking porn in Pakistan we have seen considerable decline in video traffic so we have seen reluctancy of certain ISP in complying to the growing demands of govt to block or deny access to certain content.
Also with the growing use of social media networks for digital activism the government feels threatened from the free and open internet. Example being complete blocking of websites highlighting human rights abuses in Balochistan.

Cheers!
Arzak

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Sent via Nokia Email


-----Original Message-----
From: Shahzad Ahmad
Sent: 2/23/2012 2:32:52 PM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org , 'Anriette Esterhuysen'
Subject: RE: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking System.
Thanks Anriette for the kind message.

We think that this advertisement is just to complete the bidding and
documentary process as it is required now otherwise, competing parties end
up in the court. The system would have already been in place by now... who
knows?

Right now, we are working on our public statement against the proposed
system. Will post it here and send to you separately.

Best wishes
Shahzad


-----Original Message-----
From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org
[mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Anriette
Esterhuysen
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 6:47 PM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
Subject: Re: [governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering & Blocking
System.

Thanks for this Shahzad. Very relevant for next week's panel. The
transparency of putting out a public call for bids for filtering and
blocking systems is quite remarkable :)

It shows confidence, it sends a strong public message, and it will also
encourage competition and innovation in the internet industry to come up
with 'smarter' ways of filtering.  All very disturbing.

Anriette


On 23/02/12 06:14, Shahzad Ahmad wrote:
> Folks,
>
>
>
> Forwarding for your kind information, the little news and the grand
> plans of Government of Pakistan to build Great Firewall.
>
>
>
> We believe that it coincides well with the UN's Experts Panel on 29th
> Februaryand the panelists may like to raise this?
>
>
>
> RFP is attached and here is the link:
>
>
>
> http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf
> <http://ictrdf.org.pk/RFP-%20URL%20Filtering%20&%20Blocking.pdf>
>
>
>
> *An excerpt from the RFP: *
>
> "/Each box should be able to handle a block list of up to *50 million
> URLs* (concurrent unidirectional filtering capacity) with processing
> delay of *not more than 1 milliseconds*."/
>
>
>
> Bytes for All, Pakistan have been expecting that there will be major
> crackdown on the Internet towards elections. and this probably is the
> start of things to come in the near future. We are going to issue a
> public statement on this and will share the updates.
>
>
>
> Best wishes and regards
>
>
>
> Shahzad Ahmad
>
> www.bytesforall.pk<http://www.bytesforall.pk> <http://www.bytesforall.pk>
>
>
>

--
------------------------------------------------------
anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
executive director, association for progressive communications www.apc.org<http://www.apc.org>
po box 29755, melville 2109 south africa tel/fax +27 11 726 1692



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