Ramna Saeed - How PECA is Redefining Free Speech in Pakistan

This video examines how Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), originally designed to tackle cybercrime, has increasingly been used to suppress free speech. Through anonymized accounts of journalists, students, and content creators, the piece shows how vague rules and aggressive enforcement lead to self-censorship, silenced debates, and reduced public accountability. It highlights the gap between PECA’s promise to protect citizens and its real-world chilling effect on online expression and democratic discourse. This video was produced by the Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment #CADE as part of the Youth Voices for Digital Rights Initiative. 👉 Join the Let’s Talk Digital campaign to learn more and add your voice to the conversation: https://www.forus-international.org/en/campaigns?modal_page=campaign&modal_detail_id=let-s-talk-digital 👉 Follow the CADE Youth Voices for Digital Rights journey: https://www.forus-international.org/en/campaigns?modal_page=campaign&modal_detail_id=cade-youth-voices-for-digital-rights-200092 Stay tuned for more! #DigitalRights #datasecurity #LetsTalkDigital #dataprivacy Disclaimer: This video was co-funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Forus and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.