Item Summary

" This report focuses on PECA and other laws in the same vein, to understand their impact on the right to freedom of expression in Pakistan for journalists, particularly the laws as they play out in the legal system, the country's courts and its law enforcement agencies, as well as how they place restrictions on free speech through political and social discourse. Journalists and media practitioners, in particular, often the most visible figures online due to their reporting and work, have borne the brunt of the heavily regulated landscape in Pakistan."

"The report notes that one significant impact of aggressive regulation of online spaces has been the "chilling effect" phenomenon, which provides a partial explanation of the ways in which governance frameworks can instil self-censorship as a pre-emptive protective mechanism. The report looks at the unique political, legal and social context of Pakistan, and how that engenders a larger social life of legislation that goes beyond the strictly legal apparatus. Many of the participants in this research expressed frustration with the theatrics of online legislation and regulation, used as a means of signalling what speech is acceptable and what is unacceptable. The report also finds that despite having access to overly broadly worded laws, subject to generous interpretations that in turn give officers of the law broad powers, the state finds itself turning to extra-legal mechanisms to further target online speech, and the people that speak out."

Descriptive Information

Title
Bytes behind bars : decoding Pakistan's digital expression legislation
Sort Title
bytes behind bars : decoding pakistan's digital expression legislation
Contributor
Bhatty, Maham
Chaudhri, Adnan
Farooq, Minahil
Khan, Seerat
Javed, Aqsa
Shujah, Irum
Publisher
Pakistan : Digital Rights Foundation Pakistan (DRF)
Language
English
Date Created
2025
Format
Reports
Provenance
Open-access link provided by the Library of Congress Office, Islamabad, Pakistan
Rights Statement
Copyright Not Evaluated

Discovery Information

Subject
Human and civil rights
Human rights--Law and legislation
Politics and government
Mass media--Political aspects
Science and Technology
Computer security
Information technology
Science and technology
Socioeconomic conditions and development
Crime prevention
Geographic Subject
Pakistan
Geographic Origin
Pakistan

Physical Characteristics

Page Count
56
File Count
56

Institutional Information

Collection
Born Digital Monographic Reports and Papers
Box number
Monographic Reports and Papers (Publicly Accessible)
Folder number
0aae3339-ffe5-4130-8dab-ffd88e1357c8
Barcode
0aae3339-ffe5-4130-8dab-ffd88e1357c8
IIIF Manifest URL

https://figgy.princeton.edu/concern/ephemera_folders/0aae3339-ffe5-4130-8dab-ffd88e1357c8/manifest