Tag: surveillance

  • ‘It’s not possible’; Reporting in internet-challenged Pakistan

    ‘It’s not possible’; Reporting in internet-challenged Pakistan

    With the primary shift from newspapers to television channels and now to digital media applications, the dissemination of information has become increasingly competitive for newsrooms, with the latest updates just a click away.

    “Delays can be managed with newspapers, but today everything is in your hands—specifically, mobile phones,” says Raees Ansari, Bureau Chief of Geo News in Lahore.

    “Every single second is crucial in reporting now; some footage needs to be sent and put on air instantly. But due to poor network conditions and slow WhatsApp, content is not being sent on time, which is affecting our professional activities,” he reveals.

    Over the past week, internet users across Pakistan have reported network disruptions, with WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram experiencing slowdowns, hindering online activities. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has denied any connection between these issues and the alleged firewall installation.

    Since the ban on X (formerly Twitter) on February 17, 2024, many have turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The ongoing disturbances, however, have complicated internet usage, which is crucial for a number of professions.

    Sumaira Raja, an investigative reporter, who is mostly found out on the field, complains of encountering issues with not only the internet but also phone signals which often prevents her from conveying news on time.

    “I also experience delays with receiving beepers, as head office frequently reports that the number is not available due to poor signals. This situation makes it very difficult to do my job. I’ve tried using a VPN, but it hasn’t worked,” Raja says.

    Sports journalist Faizan Lakhani recalls when javelin champion Arshad Nadeem returned to Pakistan on August 17 after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, all the visuals sent through WhatsApp by reporters were delayed, and they struggled to download them unless they used a VPN.

    “This situation is very challenging and affects our workflow. When reporters are working on a story or covering an event, they need to stay connected with the desk. We usually rely on voice notes to pass instructions, but since we started encountering this issue, we are struggling with that method too,” he says.

    “We have been told that the network disruption is because of the firewall installation. While things are becoming easier around the world, it has been getting harder for us. Everything is happening with the help of technology and the current situation is a major challenge.” says Ansari.

    What’s happening?

    A highly placed source in the IT industry identifies that filtering of content delivery networks (CDNs) through Firewall is causing content to be routed via internet backbone rather than CDNs.

    “This means that around 4 TBs of internet traffic previously served through CDNs, hosted in Pakistan, is becoming ineffective. When all traffic goes on backbone bypassing CDNs, it’s causing massive slowdown at many western destinations that’s happening now,” he explains.

    Recently, Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance services, warned clients that Pakistani freelancers may experience delays due to internet issues and the use of VPNs to change their locations.

    “Brace for impact. God save the internet in Pakistan”, says the IT expert.

    Background

    It all started on February 17, 2024, about a week into the new government, when X (formerly Twitter) was banned.

    Initially, amid the uproar, the government remained silent on the matter while the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seemed aloof until the High Courts of Sindh and Islamabad intervened. The PTA eventually admitted that the ban on X was imposed on the orders of the Ministry of Interior based on reports from intelligence agencies.

    The government eventually justified the ban by attributing it to national security concerns, citing ‘digital terrorism‘ and online propaganda as among the threats.

    Earlier in August, Provincial Information Minister Azma Bokhari stated that the government is not against social media but wants to focus on rules and regulations, which, if enforced, could lead to the removal of the ban on X.

    The disruption has now extended beyond X, affecting other widely used apps along with the internet.

    Ironically, since the February 2024 election, the new government has emphasised the need to grow the tech industry in Pakistan.

    In March, Lahore Knowledge Park (a science park) was handed over to the Punjab Central Business District Development Authority with the approval of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz, with the goal of establishing Pakistan’s largest IT city.

    In June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Shenzhen— the tech hub in China— in hopes of future collaboration. Ironically, he posted on X (Twitter), expressing how “impressed” he was by the “city’s skyline and development that symbolizes modern-day China.”

    Given the lack of proper infrastructure in the country amid burgeoning surveillance, how will Pakistan evolve in the rapidly transforming digital world? It remains to be seen – but likely we won’t be able to download it.

  • Federal Government authorises ISI to record, trace calls

    Federal Government authorises ISI to record, trace calls

    The federal government of Pakistan has granted permission to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to intercept phone calls in the interest of national security across any telecommunications system, and apprehension of criminal activities.

    According to a government notification, ISI has been authorised to record phone calls under Section 54 of the Pakistan Telecommunication Act, 1996.

    The notification also grants the agency authority to trace messages and calls including WhatsApp calls, messages, and other applications.

    This authority is vested upon ISI officers of Grade 18 or above, subject to approval by the Prime Minister.

    On June 30, Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court stated in the judgement of the Audio Leaks case of son of former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and Bushra Bibi that any form of surveillance of citizens is illegal under the law, including the surveillance of four million citizens.

    The responsibility for this mass surveillance lies with the federal government, and the Prime Minister and the cabinet are collectively and individually accountable for it.

    The court order also expressed the expectation that the Prime Minister would seek reports from intelligence agencies and present the matter before the cabinet. The order further directed the Prime Minister to identify those responsible for implementing the lawful Interception Management System and conducting mass surveillance, with reports to be submitted by July 5.

  • Censorship, Surveillance; mysterious firewall being installed to block content

    Censorship, Surveillance; mysterious firewall being installed to block content

    Umar Cheema, a senior investigative reporter at The News, has revealed that a national firewall is being installed on different internet service providers (ISPs) to rein in social media. The filters will block unwanted content from reaching a wider audience online.

    The Current also spoke with Shahbaz Rana, a senior journalist at The Tribune, to inquire about the details of the mysterious firewall. He stated, “This is a Chinese technology that the government is importing. It’s a $135 million project out of which some amount has been delivered and the remainder amount will be paid by next year.”

    “It is already bought. Now it is being installed and commissioned,” said sources of The News.

    “The national firewall will serve two purposes: identify the locations from where the propaganda material is being originated and the subsequent blockade or diminished coverage of those accounts”. He added: “But, I think the main focus will remain on locating the source of such propaganda to nip the evil in the bud”.

    According to Cheema, there will be a keyword filtering system to detect content that is undesirable to the state of Pakistan. That type of content will likely be hidden and made invisible to outside users. In other words, dissenting voices will likely be passed through this inspection before they’re visible.

    Preparation is also in progress to prevent the ‘misuse’ of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as the government can declare it mandatory for citizens to inform the PTA about the VPNs they are using. Anyone failing to do that could land in trouble.

    Previously, the government’s action against VPNs triggered a backlash from the corporate community as VPNs are primarily used by big businesses worldwide to protect their business secrets as their internal communication travels within a private network. It was due to this that action against VPNs was stopped for some time.

    Blocking social media website X (formerly Twitter) has cut the users from 4.5 million to 2.4 million, a government official told The News. It has affected Twitter’s business in Pakistan and unlike in the past, the management of the social media company has also started paying heed to government demands.

    For instance, blockade of an account of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS). Maj (r) Adil Raja was using this account even after he was no longer an office-bearer of the PESS — and refused to return control of the account.
    X (formerly Twitter) wouldn’t respond to requests generated through the PTA for a block on the account. However, it is now blocked on X.

  • ‘Smartphones are worse than a spy in your pockets’: Edward Snowden

    ‘Smartphones are worse than a spy in your pockets’: Edward Snowden

    Ex-computer intelligence consultant at the United States (US) National Security Agency (NSA) Edward Snowden has said that smartphones are “worse than a spy in your pockets”, reports Geo News.

    Snowden urged governments to impose a global delay on the international spyware trade or face a world in which no mobile phone is safe from state-sponsored hackers, reported The Guardian.

    In the wake of the revelations about Israeli NSO Group, whose software Pegasus was used to hack mobile phones for surveillance, Snowden said the consortium’s findings illustrated “how commercial malware had made it possible for repressive regimes to place vastly more people under the most invasive types of surveillance”.

    “If you don’t do anything to stop the sale of this technology, it’s not just going to be 50,000 targets. It’s going to be 50 million targets, and it’s going to happen much more quickly than any of us expect,” he warned.

    Snowden said commercial malware such as Pegasus was so powerful that ordinary people could in effect do nothing to stop it.

    Asked how people could protect themselves, he said: “What can people do to protect themselves from nuclear weapons?”

    “There are certain industries, certain sectors, from which there is no protection, and that’s why we try to limit the proliferation of these technologies. We don’t allow a commercial market in nuclear weapons.”

  • Government blames Nawaz Sharif for PM Khan’s phone hacking

    Government blames Nawaz Sharif for PM Khan’s phone hacking

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib, said that when Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone was being hacked through Pegasus spyware, it was Nawaz Sharif’s government.

    Farrukh made this statement after The Guardian reported that the Indian government targeted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone for surveillance.

    Farrukh further added that while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy hacking the phones of his Opposition, who knows, Nawaz Sharif might have sought Modi’s help for some other purposes as well.

    “We will not allow them [Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi] to remain silent on these issues,” added Farrukh.

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Shahbaz Gill tweeted, “Maryam Safdar kept speaking against Imran Khan. Today, the international media has once again exposed the nexus between her [Maryam Nawaz’s] father and Israel.”

    “He [Nawaz Sharif] was working with Israel to hack the phones of Imran Khan and other government officials,” added Gill.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Indian government spying on PM Khan through his phone: Report
    
			
    Indian government spying on PM Khan through his phone: Report
    
			
    The Indian government targeted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s phone for surveillance, reports The Guardian. Analysis of the more than 1,000 mostly Indian phone numbers selected for potential targeting by using Pegasus spyware strongly indicates intelligence agencies within the Indian government were behind the selection.
    

     Among other numbers identified by the Pegasus Project, the client identified two numbers registered to or once known to have been used by PM Imran Khan. The records also included numbers of known priorities of India’s security agencies, including Kashmiri separatist leaders, Pakistani diplomats, Chinese journalists, Sikh activists, and business people who have known to be the subject of police investigations. 
    

    Narendra Modi’s political rival and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was twice selected as a potential surveillance target in the leaked phone number data, making him one of the dozens of Indian politicians, journalists, activists, and government critics whose numbers were identified as possible targets for the Israeli company’s government clients.
    

    The phone numbers of over 40 Indian journalists appeared on a leaked list of potential targets for surveillance, and forensic tests have confirmed that some of them were successfully snooped upon by an unidentified agency using Israel’s Pegasus spyware, reported The Wire.
    

    Forensic tests conducted as part of this project on a small cross-section of phones associated with these numbers revealed clear signs of targeting by Pegasus spyware in 37 phones, of which 10 are Indian.
    

    Indian ministers, government officials, and Opposition leaders also figure in the list of people whose phones may have been compromised by the spyware, claimed The Wire.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients
    
			
    Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients
    
			
    Pakistani intelligence service is deploying surveillance technology to track suspected and confirmed patients of coronavirus, which is usually used to locate high-value militants.
    

    The development came after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced seeking assistance from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for tackling the virus.
    

    Details of the project have not yet been made public but two officials told AFP that the spy agency was using geo-fencing and phone-monitoring systems for monitoring.
    

    Geo-fencing, a strategic tracking system alerts authorities when a suspect leaves a specific geographic area. This tool is also helping officials to monitor neighbourhoods during the lockdown.
    

    Authorities are also tapping phone calls of COVID-19 patients to check, whether their contacts are talking about having symptoms.
    

    Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a senior security official said that the trace-and-track system helped authorities track the mobile phones of coronavirus patients as well as anyone they get in touch with before or after their disappearance.
    

    “The government has been successful in tracing even those who tested positive but went into hiding,” added the official.
    

    “It was originally used against terrorism, but now they can be used effectively to trace-and-track corona patients,” they maintained.
    

    Rights groups, on the other hand, are concerned that institutions with such power can abuse their sweeping surveillance to curb political dissidents.
    

    Countries across the world have employed track-and-trace methods to control the virus spread, raising privacy concerns.
    

    More than 61,000 people in Pakistan have tested positive and more than 1,200 patients have died.