Pakistan urges global social media firms to step up action against terrorism-linked accounts

Pakistan on Thursday urged major social media companies to tighten controls on accounts it says promote terrorism, warning that platforms could face regulatory measures if they fail to comply with government directives.

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry told local and foreign reporters that the government had issued new social media compliance rules on July 24, 2025, requiring platforms to open local offices and respond more swiftly to security-related requests.

“Some social media applications have shown extremely weak responses,” he said, alleging that authorities had identified 19 terrorism-linked accounts operated from India and 28 from Afghanistan.

Chaudhry said emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence tools, were being used to spread militant propaganda and criticized platforms such as X and Facebook for what he described as insufficient enforcement.

Pakistan, he said, remained a frontline state in the global fight against terrorism and expected companies to deploy AI systems capable of automatically taking down extremist content. “If this wall weakens, terrorism could extend its reach to the West,” he warned, adding that officials had traced activity from 40 banned groups based in Afghanistan.

Barrister Aqeel, who also addressed the briefing, accused platforms of applying “double standards,” saying content related to Palestine was often removed within 24 hours while accounts linked to militant organizations in Pakistan continued to operate.

He said Islamabad could consider measures similar to the “Brazil model” - which includes fines and temporary platform blocks - if companies fail to cooperate. Pakistan, he added, may also explore legal options in international courts.