Islamabad [Pakistan], August 22 : A report by The New York Times has highlighted the challenges faced by people in Pakistan due to a significant internet slowdown, which digital researchers and analysts suggest is an attempt by the government to stifle dissent.
The report shares the experience of Shafi Naeem, a Karachi-based freelance software designer, who has been unable to upload the websites he is working on.
Clients have sent him WhatsApp voice notes and photos that would not download, with an outline of a clock at the bottom right of every image the symbol that it had not yet been sent frustrating his efforts.
"It's not just bad for business; it's devastating," Naeem, 39, told The New York Times. He estimates that he has already lost more than half of his roughly $4,000 monthly income. "Our work depends on fast, reliable internet."
Across Pakistan, internet speeds have slowed to a crawl in recent days, stoking anger and raising suspicions that the government is secretly testing a new firewall-like system to better monitor and control the country's internet.
The government has denied any involvement in the slowdown, which has impacted millions of users and disrupted businesses nationwide.
The New York Times quoted trade groups and business owners who reported that internet speeds have dropped to half their usual rates. Files that once took minutes to upload now take hours, while online calls and video conferencing are marred by frozen screens and delayed voices.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association, which represents software companies across the country, condemned the "grave consequences of the hastily implemented national firewall," warning that the disruptions could cost Pakistan's economy up to $300 million.
The Pakistan Freelancers Association also cautioned that ongoing issues could lead to Pakistan being downgraded on online freelancing platforms, which would damage the nascent industry.
Pakistani authorities have claimed they are upgrading their systems to improve cybersecurity but have denied that government surveillance technology is behind the disruptions. Instead, they blamed the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) for straining the networks.
However, digital researchers and analysts attributed the slow speeds to efforts by the authorities to control the country's digital space, warning that this could curb free speech and civil liberties in Pakistan's already fragile democracy.
They allege that the Pakistani authorities are deploying a new firewall-like system that is significantly more advanced than previous web-monitoring systems used to block certain websites.
According to analysts, this new technology enables the government to continue blocking access to parts of the internet including social media, websites, and messaging platforms while also enhancing its ability to monitor, control, and censor digital spaces.
Usama Khilji, director of the Islamabad-based digital rights watchdog Bolo Bhi, told The New York Times that the new system appears to allow authorities to target and block specific components of mobile apps, such as voice notes, photos, and videos on WhatsApp, while permitting text messages and voice calls.
Digital rights groups have raised concerns that this system could eventually allow authorities to trace online messages to the phone or computer from which they originated, as well as to block specific content. Some rights groups suspect that the new technology is not properly configured for Pakistan's internet infrastructure, leading to the recent slowdown.
These allegations come amid a broader government-led crackdown on supporters of the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Military leaders have a history of arresting opposition figures, imprisoning journalists, and occasionally shutting down the country's internet to suppress dissent, according to rights groups.
Since general elections took place in February, Pakistanis have only had intermittent access to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). The military's media and public relations wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, has added senior officers to its ranks in recent years to combat the flood of anti-military messages on social media.
The New York Times report also noted that military officials have begun using the term "digital terrorism" in speeches and news releases since May, vowing to defeat those they claim are attempting to sow discord in the country.
This month, the army's chief, Gen. Asim Munir, intensified this rhetoric, suggesting in a speech that there are limits to free speech in Pakistan and accusing foreign powers of inciting "digital terrorism."
"Those who seek to create a rift between state institutions and the people of Pakistan will not succeed," General Munir warned on Aug. 14 at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul.
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