The federal government has decided to crack down on ‘negative propaganda’ on social media, with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) inviting bids for the installation of firewalls. According to PTA sources, bids have been requested for the installation of next-generation and application firewalls by internet service providers.  These next-generation firewalls will possess deep packet inspection capabilities, allowing for data inspection up to layer seven. PTA sources mentioned that the next-generation firewalls will enable real-time data monitoring, URL filtering, application control, and malware protection.  These firewalls will take proactive measures against cybersecurity threats, and the web application firewalls will monitor and filter data for web applications. The PTA has invited electronic bids through the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) e-procurement system.