ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 :Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Division Sajid Mehdi informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that approximately 80,000 SIMs have been blocked for disseminating fake news.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding the spread of false news on social media platforms, which has caused significant public concern, he said that the government is actively taking steps to address the issue. He said that a joint task force has been established, and it has already submitted its report to the Prime Minister.
He highlighted the need to address shortcomings in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and said amendments would be made in the act to expedite the trial of cases related to the dissemination of false news.
He said that the registration of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has commenced as part of these efforts.
He expressed optimism that the measures taken by the government would lead to further improvement in the situation.
He said that an awareness campaign has already been launched using various tools to educate the public on the implications of spreading fake news.
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