Screenshot from the Hug YouTube viral video.
Many had high hopes that 2013 would see Pakistan finally begin to implement positive changes with regards to its ongoing internet explosion and rapidly advancing information technology field. It was hoped that the state would shed the controversial, sometimes shadowy cloak, under which it had operated in 2012.
Cause for optimism stemmed from a change of guard in the power corridors after the general elections. It was expected that a new regime in Islamabad would strategize differently, based on the programs completed under the Punjab provincial government over the previous year.
Unfortunately, with the PML-N led government’s six months in office nearly complete, hindsight offers only cautious optimism rather than the much-needed change that was hoped for. Very little has changed in terms of how the state tackled the many challenges cyberspace and technology threw up.
All cause for optimism then remains firmly with the unexpected consequences of internet penetration, technological advancement, and how citizens and private enterprise continue to innovate and grow, despite many roadblocks.
First, the bad
The year continued to witness tech trends which had previously been met with furrowed brows and general public disdain.
YouTube ban continues
The YouTube ban instituted in September 2012
continued throughout 2013, save a few hours of disruption. Students couldn’t access invaluable videos relevant to their courses. Musicians had trouble promoting their work in a cost effective manner. Independent artists and filmmakers could not showcase their talent on one of the world’s biggest video platforms. Even mainstream media organisations suffered, unable to find a better, more cost effective way to archive news and shows. Millions were affected, but the government had little to offer in the way of a solution to the crisis.
Net freedom
Connectivity issues
NSA spying
Next, the ugly
As bad as some things were for Internet users in Pakistan, some acts even surprised those already weary of the government’s shenanigans.
More bans
The year saw multiple online bans for reasons unknown. The most disturbing in that series of blocks was that of the
Internet Movie Database (IMDB). The site was blocked for two days
before being restored, though not before specific pages belonging to a particular movie was rendered inaccessible through the Pakistan internet gateway.
The government explained that there was an
inter-minesterial committee that reviewed and approved blocks for websites, but this was just another smokescreen for the general public who were never consulted, nor told why websites were being blocked. Consequently, an untold number of blocks were implemented on news sites, Facebook pages, Baloch sites and others, under presumably abstract, ill-defined laws.
The new Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman took up her role bustling with ideas, including a block on torrents, and suggestions of having Google banned unless they complied with the government. No surprise that after the outcry over YouTube’s continued ban, these ideas were ill received, especially on Twitter. The minister
terminated her account on the social media network.
The Sindh government, having failed to forensically trace, and apprehend criminals, sought to upstage them by requesting the federal government (and testing unannounced) to have cross-platform messaging applications such as
Skype, Whatsapp, Viber and Tango blocked.
Reality of online hate speech
Arguably the ugliest part of 2013 for internet in Pakistan came in the immediate aftermath of riots in Rawalpindi during Ashura. Social media was used to disseminate fake or distorted images and misleading narratives of what occurred in a bid to rile up emotions and inflame sectarian tension.
With rising concerns over the spread of hate speech, cases of harassment, stalking and even kidnappings via social media, the prime minister ordered the drafting of a law to
crackdown on hate speech. This after the controversial
Fair Trial Bill was signed into law in 2013.
Finally, the good 
Despite the many setbacks in local cyberspace, there were victories to be had in 2013.
Website unblocked
Amid all the blocks, the website of news magazine
Rolling Stones was unblocked and made accessible (just don’t search for Gen Stanley McChrystal).
Hug YouTube
People in Karachi who were missing YouTube
gave the video site a big hug. A
Tribune surveyalso encouragingly showed that as many as 89% of people were still getting their YouTube fix by using proxies to get around blocks set up by the PTA.
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Hugs for YouTube!
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Meanwhile, Google showed (on YouTube),
how its services brought together two childhood friends separated by the Partition, through its various products in an homage to how mobile was over taking desktops for access to the Internet.
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Google also promised to unveil its own freedom to access application,
uProxy, in 2014. It promises to provide a safer connection to the internet that by-passes surveillance and blocks instituted by governments so that people can access the internet without inhibition.
Mobile catches up with desktops
In 2013, an encouraging 30 million people were quoted to be accessing the internet in Pakistan,
with 15 million doing so on their mobile phones. Using mobiles for accessing the internet is opening up new possibilities, and possibly an oncoming internet revolution with the expected arrival of 3G.
Starting up Pakistan
Already considered a cultural center of Pakistan, Lahore also tried to take on the role of tech center as it saw the first batch of the start-up incubation programme,
Plan9, graduating.
Farhan Masood was recognised by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Enterprise Forum earlier this year for his product, the world’s fastest retina and face scanner algorithm called
SmartXS.
Another less successful but far more amusing launch was that of a halal search engine,
Halalgoogling – that would safely steer Pakistanis away from immodest or
haram content, and return only halal results for searches.
Last but definitely not least, Pakistan’s mobile apps industry has continued to grow from strength to strength, expanding in range and gaining in clout and recognition.
3G gets back on track
Things can only get better on the 3G auction front. Despite the government’s stillborn plans, the 3G spectrum auction seems to have finally got on track with a new PTA chairman in office and a
timeline for license auction announced.
Social media boom
This was the year for going social on the internet, with social networks and chatting being the number one activity for Pakistanis according to a
Tribune survey. Pakistanis gave Facebook a big ‘like’, or
11 million likes for that matter.
While politicians used social media to connect directly with their supporters, and to rally them against their opponents, there was the rise in the use of social media for small businesses selling products like
clothes,
electronics, even food and a host of services. Tourism too got a boost through programs arranged on social media. Some even used social media to mobilise people to do
14 acts of kindness on Independence day, August 14 – just one of many charity and relief campaigns carried out via social media throughout the year.
The year was also a victory for self-expression (despite the YouTube ban), especially through music and videos online. Social media also became the best platform for new and independent artists from the likes of Taher Shah to Dynoman, the Lahooti live sessions and the rise of Indie-Online labels.
Conclusion
In all, 2013 was a mixed bag for Pakistan’s online space. While some doors appeared to be closing, others remained open, thanks in large part to the efforts of private enterprise and common citizens.
Though great things are forecast for 2014, including the highly anticipated 3G spectrum auction that is expected to bring in $1.2 billion in revenue, the shroud of ignorance and fear that dominates the state’s strategising for cyberspace remains a troubling reality.
