When Shafi Naeem noticed internet speeds slowing in Pakistan in recent days, he grew nervous. Then he panicked. The websites that the Karachi-based freelance software designer used to find work would not load. Those that he had built for clients were taking hours longer than usual to upload onto servers — if they uploaded at all.
Clients sent him WhatsApp voice notes and photos that would not download. An outline of a clock at the bottom right of every image — the symbol that it had not yet been sent — seemed to taunt him.
“It’s not just bad for business; it’s devastating,” said Mr. Naeem, 39. He estimates he has already lost more than half of his roughly $4,000 monthly income. “Our work depends on fast, reliable internet.”
Across Pakistan, internet speeds have ground to a crawl in recent days, stoking uproar and fueling claims that the government is secretly testing a new firewall-like system to better surveil and control the country’s internet. The government denies responsibility for the slowdown, which has affected millions of users and disrupted businesses across the country.