Watch Out Internet
Users, Big Brother is Watching!
Special
SAT Report
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is now a dangerous place for internet users, as the Big
Brother is officially watching you, whether you log on at home
or in an obscure cyber café somewhere in the middle of
no where.
It
has been officially confirmed now, with documents, that all Cyber
cafes and Internet providers have been asked to keep a log of
every person who logs on, for surfing the Net or even to send
an E-Mail.
“It
has been decided that all ISPs will keep log files of their customers
for a period of one month,” says an official Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority Letter, signed by Colonel Nayyar Hassan Regional Director,
License Enforcement, on July 5, 2002. Click
to View Letter
“The
Log will contain the following information of all their customers
for the period: a) long on/out time, b) Caller Line Identification
(CLI), c) Dynamic IP Address.
This
means that for one month any one who logs on to the internet,
remains on the records and if any thing happens during that period,
the Big Brother will come after you in no time.
A
similar letter was also issued on the same date for all Cyber
Cafes. “With the spread of Internet a lot of Cyber cafes
have started operation throughout the country,” the letter
says.
“Although
it is very useful facility for Internet users who cannot afford
a personal computer, it has given rise to crime through use of
such cafes by the criminals for exchanging E-Mails etc. Daniel
Pearl case is one unique example.”
“All
ISPs will therefore keep a record of Internet cafes operating
through their services. ISPs must pursue Internet Café
owners to keep a register where the name of every customer should
be noted along with his identity card number and the time he used
the facility. The café should also keep a record of all
the activities conducted on their personal computers for a period
of 15 days t help Intelligence Agencies to trace the criminal
in case a crime is reported and investigated,” the letter
said. Click to View Letter
Not
much happened after these letters issued by the PTA as following
the instructions meant that Cyber cafes would lose bulk of their
business since no one will be ready to provide his ID card number
to surf the internet.
Several
reminders were issued but to no effective success. The last such
reminder was issued on August 3, 2002 in which the desperate Colonel
Nayyar observed that no cooperation had been forthcoming from
ISPAK, the umbrella organization of Internet providers. Click
to View Reminder
But
this does not mean no monitoring is being done. All major ISP
providers have regular visits from intelligence officials who
keep a tab on prominent users and sensitive addresses. In some
companies one intelligence officer is always present to check
out who is doing what.
The
civil rights and liberties of Pakistanis are being blatantly violated
by these ISPs and intelligence agencies, without any check.
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