Meta holds workshop on digital transformation for govt partners in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Meta organised a workshop on Digital Transformation for government partners in Pakistan at the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication on Friday.

Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Secretary IT Captain Muhammad Mahmood (retired), Additional Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani, Member IT Syed Junaid Imam, and DG International Coordination Syed Jawwad Ali Sherazi were present on the occasion.

The purpose of the Government Digital Transformation workshop was to engage social media and PR representatives of respective ministries and government departments to brief them about how they can improve and accelerate their digital media presence and build connection and engagement with the people of Pakistan by using Meta Platforms (Facebook and Instagram).

The Meta representatives provided an overview of the Community Standards (Bullying and Harassment, Hate Speech and Misinformation) and the available safety tools, products and resources.

Officers and officials of the Ministry of IT and Telecom, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), National Information Technology Board (NITB), Ignite, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and Universal Service Fund (USF) participated in the workshop.

Meta team present on the occasion comprised Head, Safety Policy Dr Priyanka Bhalla, Lead Public Policy Dania Mukhtar, Manager Public Policy TabeerAther, and Partner Manager, Meta Guillin Cathrine Zhou.

Meta also held a Community Summit in Islamabad, to engage with civil society partners and discuss social media best practices, online safety, and freedom of expression. This was part of Meta’s initiative to meet key stakeholders in the country and reinforce the commitment to promote a safe and open online environment in Pakistan.

Priyanka Bhalla, Meta’s Head of Safety Policy for the Asia Pacific region said, “We want people to foster online relationships and share their thoughts in an environment where they feel safe. Meta will continue to work with civil society organizations in Pakistan to help us build features and tools so people can connect online safely and responsibly.”

“This was a great opportunity to be able to meet with Pakistani civil society on child safety issues. It is encouraging to know that there are such engaged groups investing in keeping those most vulnerable in our societies safe,” said Heather MGirton, Programme Specialist for National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), who also attended the event.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024