LAHORE:
More than 17 political trends on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) have been flagged as sensitive, authorities revealed on Wednesday.
According to Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials, a report was compiled after three months of meticulous monitoring of social media activities, particularly focusing on trends that could incite riots or promote violence. extremist ideologies, including “terrorism and communitarianism”.
The report’s findings highlight how political trends often target crucial events such as general elections and national security institutions, hinting at a worrying trend of online unrest and disinformation campaigns.
Additionally, the report highlights that much of the anti-national rhetoric seen on social media comes from people residing abroad.
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Punjab Police and prominent personalities have allegedly faced unwarranted criticism over these hot-button issues, with nine trends being identified as having communal overtones.
Similarly, ten trends related to nationalism were monitored, with specific mentions of Balochistan and Gwadar.
In response to these revelations, CTD officials pledged to take decisive action against individuals suspected of fomenting unrest via social media platforms. As part of its efforts, the CTD has already taken steps to block 2,836 pages and websites considered to contribute to the spread of online discord.
In addition, authorities have identified two new organizations actively involved in the distribution of content via social networks.