The Government of Pakistan has formally activated the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, known as SMPRA, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment Act of 2025, establishing a dedicated regulatory body to oversee social media platforms and address the spread of false, misleading, and harmful content online. The Ministry of Interior issued an official notification confirming the appointment of the authority’s chairman and five members, marking the formal commencement of its operations and setting the stage for a new chapter in Pakistan’s approach to digital content governance.
Senior lawyer Ayyaz Shaukat, who currently serves as Advocate General of Islamabad, has been appointed as the first chairman of SMPRA for a five-year term. He is expected to assume office following the upcoming Eid holidays, with the notification confirming that all appointments under the authority are valid for the same five-year period in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Five members have also been appointed to the authority, comprising senior journalists Sohail Iqbal Bhatti, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Saad Ali, all confirmed through the Ministry of Interior’s official notification.
Under its mandate, SMPRA has been granted broad powers to regulate online content across social media platforms operating in Pakistan. Citizens and individuals affected by false or misleading content shared on social media can file complaints directly with the authority, which is legally required to issue orders within 24 hours of receiving a report, making it one of the faster-moving regulatory mechanisms introduced in the country’s digital governance framework. Beyond individual complaints, the authority is also empowered to block content it determines to be harmful or misleading, giving it meaningful oversight capacity over the online information environment. The establishment of SMPRA reflects the government’s intent to move from passive monitoring of social media to active regulatory enforcement, a shift that is expected to have significant implications for how platforms operate and how content moderation is handled within Pakistan’s digital landscape.
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