[governance] Pakistan: National URL Filtering

Thu Feb 23 13:41:25 EST 2012

Pakistan's Great Firewall

So far from what I have researched, the present URL blocking system is
complaint led by Internet users irrespective. The literacy levels and
Internet usage levels of these Internet Users varies broadly and there
is no significant baseline to prove the state of  demographics of the
lodged complaints. From my in depth research of the issue and
consulting authorities, the URL blocking works by Internet Users
filing complaints to the regulator PTA or to the court for any obscene
website or online content. This can be both aware and unaware
citizens.

These can be both types of citizens that are aware or unawre of their
Human Rights or Privacy issues. They can go to both courts and PTA.
The regulator then has to evaluate and authenticate the content of any
such reported URL/Website and then only can they issue directives to
block access to that website. This original system is very much in
place and is open to all. So far I've been able to conclude that
thousands of websites are blocked with the largest number being of
pornographic content. Violations of HR, FoE etc become secondary in
the regulators evaluation when the complaints are being actually
lodged by individuals that may be aware/unaware of their rights.

So far websites have been blocked in Pakistan for the past 5 years
since 2006 when IPs were blocked for the first time. This affected
hosting servers and ip ranges. Then there was an industry attempt to
remove IP addresses and enable url filtering. Last year the ISPs were
advised to install proxy blocking system.

On the issue of the RFP while reading through the text, there is a
designated company that will be hired, it is not even based on
competition, its all planned out. How will they pay per URL blocking
basis to that company? They are asking for a very huge system, larger
then the Nauras Deep Inspection System already enforced on listening
to Mobile Phone voice calls, SMS messages, blackberry communications,
basically its something defense grade.

This RFP has been supposedly issued without the consent of the
organization's Board consideration and must have been floated by the
CEO though this is not verifiable.

Such a blocking system is already in place. As evident from the text,
this system will include three years operational and maintenance
financial costs which doesn't make sense for a developing country like
Pakistan where the system is already in place. It resembles the same
systems implemented and enforced by some strict middle eastern
countries.

The current RFP may be focused at a system to be federally
administered without the intermediary PTA regulator. If this is run
independently, it may be prone to target the political social media
campaigns, election relevant content and expression, freedom of
expression, partisan and bipartisan information, business specific,
organization specific content etc.

There seems to be no reaction so far in the electronic media and this
is definitely an alarming situation. The issue at hand is that this
must be stopped. The amount of money involved is immense. All media
sources should be notified of this activity that may have disastrous
results as this may lead to block of educational content, political
content,

Fooo

On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 7:50 PM, Arzak Khan <azrak_khan at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
> ----------
> 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>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------
> anriette esterhuysen anriette at apc.org
> executive director, association for progressive communications www.apc.org
> po box 29755, melville 2109 south africa tel/fax +27 11 726 1692

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