2006–2007, when the few existing Web sites pertaining to Pashtun secessionism were
fully accessible, Micronet blocked the Pashtun discussion board www.kitabtoon.com.
The blocking of a selective number of blogs and Web sites containing purported antiIslamic and anti-Pakistani content was one continuity between 2006–2007 and 2008
testing, such as the Indian militant extremist sites www.hinduunity.com that was
blocked by Cybernet and LINKdotNET and anti-Islamic Web sites (www.plusultrablog
.com by Cybernet; www.nordish.net blocked by Cybernet, LINKdotNET, and the
PTCL). However, there was also less filtering of blogs in 2008. A limited number of
Web sites not directed at Pakistani issues were filtered by some, but not all, ISPs. For
example, the blog of Michelle Malkin, a popular conservative American blogger, was
inaccessible on all ISPs in 2006–2007; in 2008, only Cybernet filtered michellemalkin
.com. A free online radio site, Live365.com, was filtered by Cybernet, LINKdotNET, and
the PTCL.
Since the last round of testing, it appears that more responsibility for implementing filtering is being shifted down to the ISP level. The most recent round of testing
also showed that filtering across ISPs is less consistent than in 2006–2007, when all
but a handful of filtered Web sites were blocked by all the ISPs. In 2008, Cybernet
blocked the greatest number of Web sites tested, filtering twice as much as the nearest
ISP; Cybernet was followed by LINKdotNET, PakNet, and Micronet (in descending
order). Between ISPs, the greatest overlap in filtering occurred between Cybernet and
LINKdotNET.
The ONI testing in 2008 showed that in continuity with 2006–2007 results, the vast
majority of newspapers and independent media, social media such as YouTube and
Blogspot.com, circumvention tools, international human rights groups, VoIP services,
civil society groups, minority religious Web sites, Indian and Hindu human rights
groups, Pakistani political parties, and sexual content (including pornography and gay
and lesbian content) were accessible on all four ISPs.
Conclusion
Pakistanis currently have unimpeded access to most sexual, political, social, and religious content on the Internet. Although the Pakistani government does not currently
employ a sophisticated blocking system, a limitation which has led to collateral blocks
on entire domains such as Blogspot.com and YouTube.com, it continues to block Web
sites containing content it considers to be blasphemous, anti-Islamic, or threatening to
internal security.
Online civil society activism that began in order to protect free expression and blogging rights has expanded as citizens utilize new media to disseminate information and
organize in the face of media blackouts and other political crises.
Pakistan
497
fully accessible, Micronet blocked the Pashtun discussion board www.kitabtoon.com.
The blocking of a selective number of blogs and Web sites containing purported antiIslamic and anti-Pakistani content was one continuity between 2006–2007 and 2008
testing, such as the Indian militant extremist sites www.hinduunity.com that was
blocked by Cybernet and LINKdotNET and anti-Islamic Web sites (www.plusultrablog
.com by Cybernet; www.nordish.net blocked by Cybernet, LINKdotNET, and the
PTCL). However, there was also less filtering of blogs in 2008. A limited number of
Web sites not directed at Pakistani issues were filtered by some, but not all, ISPs. For
example, the blog of Michelle Malkin, a popular conservative American blogger, was
inaccessible on all ISPs in 2006–2007; in 2008, only Cybernet filtered michellemalkin
.com. A free online radio site, Live365.com, was filtered by Cybernet, LINKdotNET, and
the PTCL.
Since the last round of testing, it appears that more responsibility for implementing filtering is being shifted down to the ISP level. The most recent round of testing
also showed that filtering across ISPs is less consistent than in 2006–2007, when all
but a handful of filtered Web sites were blocked by all the ISPs. In 2008, Cybernet
blocked the greatest number of Web sites tested, filtering twice as much as the nearest
ISP; Cybernet was followed by LINKdotNET, PakNet, and Micronet (in descending
order). Between ISPs, the greatest overlap in filtering occurred between Cybernet and
LINKdotNET.
The ONI testing in 2008 showed that in continuity with 2006–2007 results, the vast
majority of newspapers and independent media, social media such as YouTube and
Blogspot.com, circumvention tools, international human rights groups, VoIP services,
civil society groups, minority religious Web sites, Indian and Hindu human rights
groups, Pakistani political parties, and sexual content (including pornography and gay
and lesbian content) were accessible on all four ISPs.
Conclusion
Pakistanis currently have unimpeded access to most sexual, political, social, and religious content on the Internet. Although the Pakistani government does not currently
employ a sophisticated blocking system, a limitation which has led to collateral blocks
on entire domains such as Blogspot.com and YouTube.com, it continues to block Web
sites containing content it considers to be blasphemous, anti-Islamic, or threatening to
internal security.
Online civil society activism that began in order to protect free expression and blogging rights has expanded as citizens utilize new media to disseminate information and
organize in the face of media blackouts and other political crises.
Pakistan
497