Be careful of what you wish for. Once you ban something, it sometimes becomes quite hard to reverse it. There have been several news reports lately suggesting that judges at the apex court want YouTube banned. It is a possibility that their lordships were quoted out of context and that they meant something entirely different. But it still bears reminding the policymakers to not shoot themselves in the foot again a la 2012.
Use of hate speech and disinformation over social media is rampant and ugly. The key to solving anti-social behavior is to provide speedy recourse to “defamation”. This can be done by passing meaningful legislation and beefing up the capacity of judicial officers. However, banning social media to curb bad behavior ends up hurting free speech and is akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Besides freedom of speech, there are socioeconomic consequences of “banning” as well. Platforms such as YouTube provide learning and livelihood opportunities to many folks in this increasingly digital economy. Students can access the best video lectures online; artists can hone their crafts remotely; creators can share their works with a global audience; businesses rely on videos to make a selling; and those with hefty subscriptions can monetize their content.
At the end of the day, banning social media platforms by putting the blame entirely on tech companies and law-abiding end-users is no substitute for effective cyber-law enforcement. Social media rules promulgated earlier this year are already controversial and have done little to improve the country’s image as a destination open for business. (For more on that, please read, “In the name of citizens,” published February 19, 2020 in this space).
It is good to see that some in the federal cabinet have quickly pointed out the negative externalities of banning YouTube. But it is not enough to only argue rhetorically. Folks who are really in charge of “Digital Pakistan” in the government will do well to gather authentic data on subscription, usage and impact of folks availing platforms such as YouTube. For if a moment arises where there is a serious threat of another ban, the government needs to be armed with the numbers to argue its case.
The future will be different. If Pakistanis are to become an active and productive part of the local and global digital ecosystems, it is time to take steps to improve the availability, accessibility, and affordability of broadband internet, handheld devices, localized content, and literacy platforms. There is so much that needs to be done for an inclusive digital economy. Banning content will set the country back many years. Just ask the content creators and users who felt locked out when YouTube was banned from 2012-16.
What will happen next? Considering YouTube (and Facebook and Twitter) have been taken down many times before in this country (even on court orders), it won’t be out of the blue that a hammer falls again on the popular video-sharing portal. What’s different today is that a number of prominent politicians, analysts, celebrities, national institutions, and media houses have built substantial following over YouTube. That critical mass is expected to push back if push comes to shove. But hey, anything can happen!
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