ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and international social media companies have reached a consensus on establishing a virtual office in Pakistan.
The federal government has finalized the amended social media rules, officials of the IT Ministry said. Social media companies will set up virtual offices instead of on-site establishments in Pakistan.
The representatives of social media companies will be available round-the-clock at the virtual offices, according to officials. The social media companies will process the complaints of the Pakistan government immediately, they further said.
The government’s social media rules committee has divided the controversial content into three sections. The content included in the ‘red list’ will have to be removed immediately, the officials of the IT Ministry said.
The content included in the ‘yellow list’ will have to be removed within 72 hours of the complaint, the officials said, while the complaints against routine content have been added to a green list.
The officials also stressed that a separate authority will not be created to regulate social media. The authority to regulate social media will be vested in the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The officials say the social media committee of the government has also decided to retain the punishments suggested in the rules.
