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Tech-driven violence: Call for enhanced penalties for digital crime
[September 29, 2014]

Tech-driven violence: Call for enhanced penalties for digital crime


(Express Tribune (Pakistan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Technology-driven violence is an invention of the digital age where the same laws as physical crime fail to work. The jurisdiction of handling such cases falls under a grey area which needs to be sorted out by the government to protect victims of cyber-crime.



This was the crux of a discussion at the launching ceremony of a report on technology-driven violence on Monday. The report has been compiled and published by Bytes for All, a human-rights organisation and research think-tank with a focus on information and communication technologies.

Gul Bukhari, researcher and author of the report, shared three case studies, exemplifying privacy invasion, sharing and distribution of explicit content online as well as physical attacks such as rape and attempted murder.


Two of the victims, whose names had been changed to protect their identities, were educated women belonging to urban backgrounds.

She pointed to a disconnect within the police system where the cases were reported, saying that often the perpetrators had gotten away despite evidence and the victims had to face serious repercussions.

Comparing the internet with telephony, she said online content could perpetually affect the victims' reputation as opposed to calls, text messages and newspapers. She stressed the importance of corporate intermediaries such as social-networking websites Twitter and Facebook to step up their role and urged for a "one-stop shop" to control the crisis.

ukhari underscored underreporting in cases of technology-driven violence, saying that although there are no statistics available the numbers are extremely high.

The panel, moderated by journalist Sadaf Baig, comprised Awami National Party Senator Afrasiab Khattak, International Commitments Director General Hasan Mangi, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Consumer Protection Director Nabiha Mehmood, journalist Maria Memon, Aurat Foundation CEO Naeem Ahmed Mirza and Criminology Consultant Humaira Masihuddin.

Khattak said social media was a relatively new domain and so there was need to legislate accordingly. "Lawmakers and international conventions should play their due role in ensuring that this realm remains peaceful," he said.

Mirza said bills corresponding to gender-based legislation have been presented to the National Assembly and some of them have been passed in provinces such as Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. He said it is time to take ownership of the problem at the national level. "Attitudes are nothing, it boils down to the political economy of resources when it comes to legislation," he added.

Memon shared an account of a female television anchor whose mobile phone had been stolen and she was scared of having her pictures leaked and shared on the social media. She also shared examples of anchors and actors such as Maya Khan, Veena Malik and Shahista Wahidi, who had to face severe social media trials for their respective actions on television.

Moreover, Mehmood said technology is not to be blamed, adding that PTA does not have a mandate to address such crimes while Mangi said that while laws exist, they have to be implemented.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2014.

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