For Immediate Release
Cybercrime Bill Must Not Be Approved In Its Current Form
February 11, 2015: On February 7 and February 9, 2015, Bolo Bhi held consultations with lawyers, activists and technology experts on the proposed cybercrime law i.e. Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2015 in Karachi.
Several reservations were raised during the review meetings and there was consensus that the proposed law should not be passed in its current form due to its impact on legitimate business and citizens’ rights. Those who were involved in the original drafting process of this law, also present at the meetings, noted the law under consideration was an altered version and not what the stakeholders had approved.
Bolo Bhi is in the process of finalizing recommendations that will be submitted to the four-member sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology, which has been tasked to review and approve the law before it is presented before parliament.
Read here analyses of the proposed law:
A preliminary analysis by Bolo Bhi
A critique by Digital Rights Foundation
A analysis by Centre for Law & Democracy
Contact: farieha@bolobhi.org
About Bolo Bhi
Bolo Bhi means ‘Speak up’, in Urdu. We are a not-for-profit registered under the Societies Act XXI of 1860. Bolo Bhi is geared towards gender rights, government transparency, internet access, digital security and privacy. We are a team of individuals with diverse backgrounds who are passionate about the same causes and believe it is crucial to bridge the gap between rights advocates, policy makers, media and citizens. It is by bridging this gap that one can move ahead to chart a way forward and resolve issues through consensus.
