ISLAMABAD: The lower house of the bicameral parliament on Thursday passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes- PECA Amendment Bill 2025, targeting fake news.
The amendments aimed to prevent cybercrimes and control on misuse of social media with harsh penalties.
The parliamentary reporters staged a walkout from the assembly against the amendments.
The amendments, titled the Electronic Crimes Prevention (Amendment) Act 2025, propose stringent penalties, including up to three years in prison and fines of Rs2 million for spreading fake news or disinformation.
Under the amended law, a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) will be established with the power to to regulate social media and online platforms.
The DRPA will be empowered to block or remove unlawful content from social media platforms.
The draft amendments proposed to add a new provision, Section 26(A), to Peca, to penalise perpetrators of “fake news” online.
The amendments stated, “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years or with fine which may extend to Rs2 million or with both.”
The law further proposed the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority head office will be established in Islamabad, while regional offices will be established in provincial capitals.
The regulatory authority would perform a range of functions related to social media such as education, awareness, training, regulation, enlistment, blocking, and more.
Moreover, it stated that the authority will be authorised to cancel the registration of social media platforms or take disciplinary action against users for violation of the PECA Act.
The federal government will establish a Social Media Protection Tribunal to implement the amendment act. “A Social Media Complaints Council, comprising five members and one ex-officio member, will be established,” the bill proposed.
The draft also added that in case of any violation, the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority would approach the Social Media Protection Tribunal which would decide all cases in 90 days.
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“The chairman of the tribunal will be a former judge of the High Court and a journalist and software engineer will also be part of the tribunal. The decision of the tribunal can be challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan within 60 days,” it read.
Moreover, the federal government will also form a National Cybercrime Investigation Agency to investigate illegal activities on social media.
