New Delhi

Facebook has rejected Pakistan's request of linking the social media platform with the users' mobile number.  

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Facebook spokesperson Christine Chen said the company did not approve of this move to protect the rights of its users, responding to an email by VOA. The spokesperson also said that Facebook was concerned about the ongoing government cases against some of its users in Pakistan. 

Pakistan had asked facebook to link the social media's account with the users' mobile number. According to Pakistan's Ministry of Information Technology, fake facebook accounts were used to circulate hate material. 

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) ensured the security of mobile phones saying that all mobile numbers in the country were protected through biometric verification system. It claimed that linking the facebook accounts with the users' mobile number can prevent fake Facebook accounts from spreading hatred. It mentioned that Facebook accounts can simply be opened through an email.

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Pakistan initiated the request after Facebook's efforts to remove foul and indecent content from its platform. 

In the first ever visit by a senior member of Facebook management in Pakistan to deal with the growing misuse of social media platform, Vice president of Facebook Joel Kaplan met with interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and held talks to remove hateful, provocative and blasphemous content from the social media website. 

At present Facebook has over 33 million users in Pakistan.