Hamza's case

Of all the widely used social media platforms, Facebook not only remains the most populated, but also the most controversial. When it comes to Pakistan , a particularly warped environment is developing.

It is a well-known fact that accusations of blasphemy in a country like Pakistan are tantamount to incitement of violence. Also well-known is the fact that Pakistans blasphemy laws prescribe a death penalty for blasphemy.

Yet in one recent instance, a Facebook page making a case (in Urdu) for the punishment of a Pakistani woman for blasphemy was reported by a large number of users, but Facebook refused to take action against the offending page with a standard response that the page had not violated the platforms community standards.

Consequently, the page and its vile messages remained accessible for days.

In another case, an Islamabad-based female activist underwent severe harassment online, which included her being not only accused of apostasy (another grave allegation with potentially lethal consequences) but also having her private information leaked across the platform.

Predictably, all of her complaints against Urdu content were dismissed by Facebook.

Facebook has explained that its content control policy ensured adequate checks and balances, especially when it came to respecting local laws and traditions.

However, such a policy is highly problematic because in countries like Pakistan, local laws and traditions support human rights violations such as capital punishment, religious discrimination and persecution.

Also read: And now Facebook

Facebook's growing commitment to government authorities instead of its users' fundamental rights is thought-provoking, and exhibits how the influence of political economies is possibly at play.

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Hamza's case