Publications/ Reports

Social media regulations: A comparative study of six jurisdictions

This comparative study by Bolo Bhi titled “Social media regulations: A comparative study of six jurisdictions” summarises the current and proposed social media related regulations in the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, India, Turkey, and France. This was done in order to facilitate an informed discussion about social media related regulations around the world […]

Analysis: Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Protection, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2020

On November 18, 2020, Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Protection, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2020, as published in the Extraordinary Gazette, were uploaded to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom’s (MOITT) website, approved and in effect since October 20, 2020. Below is a comparison with the earlier version of the Rules that […]

Bolo Bhi launches study, hosts first Multi-stakeholder Internet Policymaking Dialogue

Tuesday, 21st November 2017 – Bolo Bhi hosted a policy dialogue on Internet Policymaking in Pakistan at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) in Islamabad. The event featured the launch of Bolo Bhi’s research paper on the Internet Policymaking landscape in Pakistan that was published in collaboration with the Internet Policy Observatory and the […]

State of IT Governance in Pakistan – A Report by Bolo Bhi

Over the last two-and-a-half, years we at Bolo Bhi have engaged with government and non-government stakeholders on the issue of censorship in Pakistan, to find a way to minimize and end it. While much effort is spent on blocking and censoring content on the Internet in Pakistan, and conversation around it, we wanted to begin […]

Bolo Bhi & ZABMUN 2014 Academic Partnership: Report

The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology Model United Nations Society (ZABMUN) was initiated in 2007 and hosted its first national conference in 2008 with 450 delegates. ZABMUN 2014 was held from October 9-12, 2014 at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, and it attracted over 1500 delegates. Bolo Bhi entered into an Academic […]

Pakistan’s Internet BANwagon: A Documentary by Bolo Bhi

Over the last year, Bolo Bhi has spoken to multiple people – entrepreneurs, startups, industry professionals, legal and technical experts, and policymakers – on the issue of Internet censorship and policymaking in the ICT sector. Find here what they have to say. Watch Pakistan’s Internet BANwagon a documentary by Bolo Bhi, featuring policymakers and industry professionals. […]

In Media

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/technology/pakistan-builds-web-wall-out-in-the-open.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/03/02/pakistans-open-war-on-the-internet/ TIMES: http://www.time.com/time/quotes/0,26174,2108224,00.html Global Voices:  http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/02/28/pakistan-fighting-the-great-firewall/ The News Tribe: http://www.thenewstribe.com/2012/09/21/suspension-of-cellular-services-seems-useless/ Firewall Looming: http://speakforchange.org/firewall-looming-in-pakistan/ Business Recorder: http://www.brecorder.com/br-research/44:44/2346:building-the-countrys-great-firewall/?date=2012-03-06  The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/20/pakistan-blocks-twitter-blasphemy-fears Hardnews: http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2012/05/5201 The Express Tribune: http://tribune.com.pk/story/421505/pta-called-out-for-protecting-those-in-corridors-of-power/ Global Voices: http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2014/08/13/human-rights-experts-pakistan-could-become-a-police-state-under-protection-ordinance/ Dawn: http://www.dawn.com/news/1108341/analysis-censoring-tweets-in-pakistan The Express Tribune: http://tribune.com.pk/story/670580/right-to-information-bolo-bhi-requests-transparency/ The Global Network Initiative: https://www.globalnetworkinitiative.org/news/bolo-bhi-joins-global-network-initiative Dawn: http://www.dawn.com/news/1104784

Agents of Change: Youth Tackle Gender-based Violence

This article was originally published on the Newsline blog on January 6, 2011 Youth participants pose with their mentors at the December 2010 launch of Through the Gender Lens, a handbook to help combat violence against women. Through the Gender Lens, a handbook – and also the culmination of a yearlong collaborative effort between Uks […]

Woman on a Mission

This article was originally published in Newsline’s March 2011 issue Mai Jori’s name was first heard in March 2010 when, after the assassination of Sardar Rustum Khan Jamali, by-elections for his seat PB-25 were announced. Mai Jori was one of the contenders. An illiterate hari woman, she was offered an Awami Party ticket, and was […]

LHC to Consider Permanent Ban on Facebook

This article was originally published on Newsline’s blog on May 8, 2011 Mass censorship? As the LHC considers to place a ban on Facebook (again), people wonder where the censorship will stop. In Pakistan, blanket bans and censorship have been a regular feature. Since 2006, there have been instances where YouTube has been blocked, and […]