Government Requests 20 billion Budget For Regulating Social Media

The federal government aims to allocate Rs. 20 billion in the next fiscal year not only to bolster cybersecurity but also to oversee and improve regulation of social media nationwide.

The Ministry of IT & Telecom has requested Rs. 20 billion for the Digital Information Infrastructure Initiative (DIII) in the budget for 2024-25. This appeal has been forwarded to the finance division for inclusion in the upcoming fiscal year’s expenditures.

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In the current fiscal year, the IT Ministry has already secured Rs. 15 billion for DIII through a technical supplementary grant.

The DIII project is estimated to cost around $135 million (Rs. 38 billion) in total. A significant portion of these funds has been utilized this year, with the remaining amount sought for the next fiscal year.

The government anticipates that this new technology will aid in the regulation of social media, combat its misuse, and counter malicious campaigns. Despite the ban on X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan, many individuals, including government officials, continue to access it through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

In the upcoming fiscal year, it is highly probable that social media platforms will be required to establish physical offices in Pakistan. A legislative framework is being explored to formalize these regulations under the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act (PECA) 2016.