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DW
a day ago
- DW
Pakistan: How social media can become a danger to women – DW – 06/27/2025
As more women in Pakistan embrace self-expression and economic freedom online, they're often met with harassment, privacy violations and violence. Earlier this month, 17-year-old TikTok star Sana Yousaf was shot dead by a man who had repeatedly contacted her online, according to police. The killing of the popular Pakistani teenager, who had more than 1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, has raised renewed concerns over the safety of online personalities in Pakistan, particularly young women. "I had posted a story on social media while at a burger shop," Hira Zainab, a Pakistani social media user, told DW. "On my way back, a car passed by, and someone called out my name." Zainab, who has been active on Instagram since 2017, has maintained several public accounts, including a food blog and a society column. She said this wasn't the only instance where online stalking turned into a real-life encounter. "Once, I was at a salon, and after I left, I received a message saying, 'That color looks nice on you.'" Both times, Zainab said the messages came from strangers who had previously made online advances she had ignored. Other recent incidents — such as leaked video footage purporting to show TikToker Maryam Faisal in a private moment with a partner — have highlighted concerns about women's digital safety. In Pakistan, self-expression and economic independence in digital spaces comes with a surge of threats, privacy violations, and social backlash pressures that often escalate into real-world violence. According to a 2023 study by the Digital Rights Foundation, an NGO that advocates women's rights in the digital space, 58.5% of online harassment complaints in Pakistan are filed by women. But public conversation rarely addresses the deeper, systemic issue — particularly the patriarchal norms that stretch from the online world into homes, workplaces, and society at large. Women with public-facing digital lives have been asking why does visibility so often come at a cost? DW spoke with several Pakistani women who use social media in a public capacity. Yusra Amjad, a Pakistani poet, has used Instagram publicly since 2017. "What started with poetry grew into opportunities for content creation and collaboration," she told DW. "The coolest thing that happened was when Yrsa Daley-Ward, a British African poet, selected someone from Instagram comments for a video call and I won" Amjad said. "I also connected with Indian writers and poets." She recalled one of many hate comments she has received. "When my mother and I did yoga in a park. Hate comments alluded to it being shameless and dishonorable." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Bisma Shakeel, who is based in the Pakistani city of Kohat, uses social media to raise awareness about mental health, focusing on narcissistic abuse and domestic violence. Her motivation stems from personal experience, having left a toxic relationship in which her partner was controlling and discouraged her from using social media to build a professional presence. But the 29-year-old's journey wasn't straightforward. Securing permission from her family to post videos showing her face took time. For many women, freedom on social media, just like in offline spaces, exists on a spectrum. "My father is liberal, but even he said, 'You shouldn't post. People will talk. In our community, girls don't do that.'" Though Shakeel is now active on social media, she said it doesn't come without risk. "Not so much on Instagram, but on TikTok, you can't imagine the kind of threats we get. Rape threats, death threats," she said. Women in Pakistan — especially those who are visibly active online, whether talking about politics or society or simply owning their space — are often judged and perceived as a threat to religious and cultural values. ''That framing is what makes the harassment feel 'deserved' to many. It's not random, it's deeply structured: she's labeled as immoral or un-Islamic, and then attacking her becomes a form of social or religious duty,'' said Maham Tariq, a feminist activist associated with Pakistan's "Aurat Azadi March" (Women's Freedom March). "It allows people to feel righteous while being violent." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Several women interviewed expressed frustration that social media platforms often fail to adequately support victims of online harassment. The complaint process is slow and often ineffective. Aisha*, a Karachi native now based in Berlin, has used Instagram as a blog and community platform for years. She shared her experience of being impersonated online with fake profiles and doctored photos. ''Family members would screenshot my photos,'' she said. ''And I saw fake profiles of myself.'' Aisha said that a recent Instagram feature whereby blocking an account also blocks associated IPs has dramatically reduced the number of fake accounts. Following Sana Yousaf's killing, rights expert Dad noted that many women influencers have become active in reporting victim-blaming comments. "They also reported profiles glorifying Sana's murder,'' said Dad, who noted that low digital literacy combined with widespread internet access remains a challenging and risky mix in Pakistan. ''So bad actors, somehow, they have this sort of trust in the system that it won't work for victims and survivors,'' she said. While authorities often act swiftly on victims' complaints, that's not always the case. For some, like Aisha, safety remains a major concern when visiting Pakistan, even from abroad. She says she keeps her accounts private during view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Fake news
According to the research company Gallup Pakistan, more than half of our population is growing up in an online world — where falsehood spreads faster than the truth. According to a 2023 study by the Digital Rights Foundation, more than 70% of Pakistan's social media users have unknowingly shared misleading information. From fake health tips to conspiracy theories and political propaganda, misinformation has quietly spread everywhere. This is not only affecting their critical thinking skills but also their behaviour. It can lead to anxiety, political polarisation, and identity confusion. Our youth are increasingly quoting TikTok videos and viral posts as facts. Many are unable to distinguish between reality and viral fiction. To overcome this growing crisis, digital literacy should be taught like a regular subject — in schools, colleges, and even universities as most students don't even know how to verify online information. Social media platforms and influencers also need to be held responsible for what they post. T here should be proper awareness campaigns, and the government and educators should work together to guide young people. The youth should be trained to verify sources, question narratives, identify bias, and tell the difference between credible and manipulated content. If we want a future built on truth and awareness, we must teach our youth digital literacy. Sobia Mirpurkhas
Express Tribune
16-06-2025
- Express Tribune
When Pakistani women go online
Since seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers. "In my family, it wasn't an accepted profession at all, but I'd managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business," she said. Then last week, Sana Yousaf was shot dead outside her house in the capital Islamabad by a man whose advances she had repeatedly rejected, police said. News of the murder led to an outpouring of comments under her final post – her 17th birthday celebration where she blew out the candles on a cake. In between condolence messages, some blamed her for her own death: "You reap what you sow" or "it's deserved, she was tarnishing Islam". Yousaf had racked up more than a million followers on social media, where she shared her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional shalwar kameez outfits. TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels. On it, women have found both audience and income, rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy. But as TikTok's views have surged, so have efforts to police the platform. Pakistani telecommunications authorities have repeatedly blocked or threatened to block the app over what it calls "immoral behaviour", amid backlash against LGBTQ and sexual content. TikTok has pledged to better moderate content and blocked millions of videos that do not meet its community guidelines as well as at the request of Pakistan authorities. After Yousaf's murder, Bukhari, 28, said her family no longer backs her involvement in the industry. "I'm the first influencer in my family, and maybe the last," she told AFP. 'Fear of being judged' Only 30 per cent of women in Pakistan own a smartphone compared to twice as many men (58 per cent), the largest gap in the world, according to the Mobile Gender Gap Report of 2025. "Friends and family often discourage them from using social media for fear of being judged," said a statement from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). In southwestern Balochistan, where tribal law governs many rural areas, a man confessed to orchestrating the murder of his 14-year-old daughter earlier this year over TikTok videos that he said compromised her honour. In October, police in Karachi, in the south, announced the arrest of a man who had killed four women relatives over "indecent" TikTok videos. These murders each revive memories of Qandeel Baloch, dubbed Pakistan's Kim Kardashian and one of the country's first breakout social media stars whose videos shot her to fame. After years in the spotlight, she was suffocated by her brother. Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan, according to the country's Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting men are not uncommon. "This isn't one crazy man, this is a culture," said Kanwal Ahmed, who leads a closed Facebook group of 300,000 women to share advice. "Every woman in Pakistan knows this fear. Whether she's on TikTok or has a private Instagram with 50 followers, men show up. In her DMs. In her comments. On her street," she wrote in a post. "The misogyny and the patriarchy that is prevalent in this society is reflected on the online spaces," she added. A 22-year-old man was arrested over Yousaf's murder and is due to appear in court next week. At a vigil in the capital last week, around 80 men and women gathered, holding placards that read "no means no". "Social media has given us a voice, but the opposing voices are louder," said Hira, a young woman who joined the gathering. The capital's police chief, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, used a press conference to send a "clear message" to the public. "If our sisters or daughters want to become influencers, professionally or as amateurs, we must encourage them," he said. afp
New Straits Times
16-06-2025
- New Straits Times
TikTok murder highlights Pakistan's unease with women online
SINCE seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers. "In my family, it wasn't an accepted profession at all, but I'd managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business," she said. Then last week, Sana Yousaf was shot dead outside her house in the capital Islamabad by a man whose advances she had repeatedly rejected, police said. News of the murder led to an outpouring of comments under her final post – her 17th birthday celebration where she blew out the candles on a cake. In between condolence messages, some blamed her for her own death: "You reap what you sow" or "it's deserved, she was tarnishing Islam." Yousaf had racked up more than a million followers on social media, where she shared her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional shalwar kameez outfits. TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels. On it, women have found both audience and income, rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy. But as TikTok's views have surged, so have efforts to police the platform. Pakistani telecommunications authorities have repeatedly blocked or threatened to block the app over what it calls "immoral behaviour", amid backlash against LGBTQ and sexual content. TikTok has pledged to better moderate content and blocked millions of videos that do not meet its community guidelines as well as at the request of Pakistan authorities. After Yousaf's murder, Bukhari, 28, said her family no longer backs her involvement in the industry. "I'm the first influencer in my family, and maybe the last," she told AFP. Only 30% of women in Pakistan own a smartphone compared to twice as many men (58%), the largest gap in the world, according to the Mobile Gender Gap Report of 2025. "Friends and family often discourage them from using social media for fear of being judged," said a statement from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). In southwestern Balochistan, where tribal law governs many rural areas, a man confessed to orchestrating the murder of his 14-year-old daughter earlier this year over TikTok videos that he said compromised her honour. In October, police in Karachi, in the south, announced the arrest of a man who had killed four women relatives over "indecent" TikTok videos. These murders each revive memories of Qandeel Baloch, dubbed Pakistan's Kim Kardashian and one of the country's first breakout social media stars whose videos shot her to fame. After years in the spotlight, she was suffocated by her brother. Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan, according to the country's Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting men are not uncommon. "This isn't one crazy man, this is a culture," said Kanwal Ahmed, who leads a closed Facebook group of 300,000 women to share advice. "Every woman in Pakistan knows this fear. Whether she's on TikTok or has a private Instagram with 50 followers, men show up. In her DMs. In her comments. On her street," she wrote in a post. In the fifth-most-populous country in the world, where 60% of the population is under the age of 30, the director of digital rights organisation Bolo Bhi, Usama Khilji, says "many women don't post their profile picture, but a flower, an object, very rarely their face." "The misogyny and the patriarchy that is prevalent in this society is reflected on the online spaces," he added. A 22-year-old man was arrested over Yousaf's murder and is due to appear in court this week. At a vigil in the capital last week, around 80 men and women gathered, holding placards that read "no means no." "Social media has given us a voice, but the opposing voices are louder," said Hira, a young woman who joined the gathering. The capital's police chief, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, used a press conference to send a "clear message" to the public. "If our sisters or daughters want to become influencers, professionally or as amateurs, we must encourage them," he said.
Express Tribune
15-06-2025
- Express Tribune
TikTok murder highlights Pak's unease with women online
Protesters in Islamabad hold placards and a poster of late TikTok star Sana Yousaf during a demonstration against violence targeting women. Photo: File Since seeing thousands of comments justifying the recent murder of a teenage TikTok star in Pakistan, Sunaina Bukhari is considering abandoning her 88,000 followers. "In my family, it wasn't an accepted profession at all, but I'd managed to convince them, and even ended up setting up my own business," she said. Then last week, Sana Yousaf was shot dead outside her house in the capital Islamabad by a man whose advances she had repeatedly rejected, police said. News of the murder led to an outpouring of comments under her final post — her 17th birthday celebration where she blew out the candles on a cake. In between condolence messages, some blamed her for her own death: "You reap what you sow" or "it's deserved, she was tarnishing Islam". Yousaf had racked up more than a million followers on social media, where she shared her favourite cafes, skincare products and traditional shalwar kameez outfits. TikTok is wildly popular in Pakistan, in part because of its accessibility to a population with low literacy levels. On it, women have found both audience and income, rare in a country where fewer than a quarter of the women participate in the formal economy. But as TikTok's views have surged, so have efforts to police the platform. Pakistani telecommunications authorities have repeatedly blocked or threatened to block the app over what it calls "immoral behaviour", amid backlash against LGBTQ and sexual content. TikTok has pledged to better moderate content and blocked millions of videos that do not meet its community guidelines as well as at the request of Pakistan authorities. After Yousaf's murder, Bukhari, 28, said her family no longer backs her involvement in the industry. "I'm the first influencer in my family, and maybe the last," she told AFP. Only 30 percent of women in Pakistan own a smartphone compared to twice as many men (58 percent), the largest gap in the world, according to the Mobile Gender Gap Report of 2025. "Friends and family often discourage them from using social media for fear of being judged," said a statement from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). In southwestern Balochistan, a man confessed to orchestrating the murder of his 14-year-old daughter earlier this year over TikTok videos that he said compromised her honour. In October, police in Karachi, in the south, announced the arrest of a man who had killed four women relatives over "indecent" TikTok videos. These murders each revive memories of Qandeel Baloch, one of the country's first breakout social media stars whose videos shot her to fame. After years in the spotlight, she was suffocated by her brother. Violence against women is pervasive in Pakistan, according to the country's Human Rights Commission, and cases of women being attacked after rejecting men are not uncommon. "This isn't one crazy man, this is a culture," said Kanwal Ahmed, who leads a closed Facebook group of 300,000 women to share advice. "Every woman in Pakistan knows this fear. Whether she's on TikTok or has a private Instagram with 50 followers, men show up. In her DMs. In her comments. On her street," she wrote in a post. In the fifth-most-populous country in the world, where 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30, the director of digital rights organisation Bolo Bhi, Usama Khilji, says "many women don't post their profile picture, but a flower, an object, very rarely their face". "The misogyny and the patriarchy that is prevalent in this society is reflected on the online spaces," he added. A 22-year-old man was arrested over Yousaf's murder and is due to appear in court next week.
