Tarar announces national cybersecurity and social media awareness council
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said a national cybersecurity and social media awareness council will be set up within one to two weeks. He made the announcement at an Islamabad event held for Cyber Security Awareness Week.
- The council is to be formed within one to two weeks, Tarar said.
- He proposed that the PTA lead it, with ministries, provinces, NCCIA, SMPRA and UNDP as members.
- Tarar said AI labelling of AI-generated content will be made mandatory through a legal framework.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that a national cybersecurity and social media awareness council will be established within one to two weeks. He spoke at an event in Islamabad held for Cyber Security Awareness Week.
Tarar proposed that federal ministries, all provincial governments, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), SMPRA and UNDP could be members of the council. He also proposed that the PTA lead it.
He said the council is needed so that public awareness and reforms can continue throughout the year. According to Tarar, one-off official campaigns or a single week of awareness cannot overcome digital challenges.
Tarar said society was not ready for the arrival of social media and fast-changing technology, so regulatory frameworks could not be created, and enforcing laws has become a serious challenge as a result. He said the solution lies within social media itself. He asked that agreement on forming the council be included in the event's press release or declaration, and assured full facilitation from the government and the Ministry of Information.
The minister also proposed making digital literacy a compulsory part of school, college and university curricula, and setting up digital literacy cells in all public and private educational institutions. He said AI labelling for AI-generated content on social media platforms will be made mandatory for all platforms through a legal and regulatory framework.
Tarar said that when he took office the ministry's digital footprint was zero, and that Pakistan's first digital communication department has since been established.
PTA Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez ur Rehman said Pakistan faces serious cybersecurity threats and is a targeted country for cyberattacks and digital threats. He said thousands of fake videos and pieces of false information circulate in the country, and that citizens are receiving fake calls and one-time password messages used for fraud.
He said the telecom sector is not fully secure and needs awareness campaigns and a comprehensive national policy. He appealed to citizens not to spread unverified messages.
Why it matters
Citizens in Pakistan are receiving fake calls and one-time password messages used for fraud, and the council is meant to protect them from online scams and digital fraud.
