ISLAMABAD: Media watchdog Freedom Network has penned an open letter to Google and the government, seeking to know what safeguards will ensure that the tech giant’s recent partnership with Pakistan strengthens the country’s digital economy without creating a backdoor for surveillance, censorship or unrestricted access to citizens’ personal information. The Islamabad-based watchdog welcomed the signing of memoranda of understanding and agreements between Google and the government after the company opened its office in Pakistan to advance the country’s digital vision, but expressed apprehensions that the tech company and the government had not made details of their agreements public. “A big question is what exactly has been agreed? Will the government or Google publish all MoUs, agreements, contracts or other arrangements signed between them? If some provisions must remain confidential, who decided that and under what law?” Freedom Network asked in its alert shared with the media through a press release. The media watchdog asked if there were any undisclosed commitments concerning access to user data, content, metadata or government databases. “Under what circumstances ca
