1. Purpose
This policy defines how PakPedia evaluates, approves, and manages integrations with third-party tools, datasets, APIs, platforms, and services. The goal is to expand civic access responsibly while maintaining neutrality, accuracy, and platform security.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all external services that interact with PakPedia, including:
- Mapping tools
- Geographic data providers
- Translation services
- Open-data platforms
- Civic-tech tools
- Verification systems
- Institutional data partnerships
- Non-sensitive external APIs
It does not permit integration with political, commercial advertising, or personal-data harvesting services.
3. Integration Principles
3.1 Neutrality
Third-party tools must not introduce political bias or influence civic interpretation.
3.2 Accuracy
All integrated data must be verifiable, traceable, and based on authoritative sources.
3.3 Security
Integrations must not compromise PakPedia’s infrastructure, systems, or data integrity.
3.4 Transparency
Integrations must be fully documented and disclosed when relevant to users.
3.5 Public Benefit
Integrations must directly support civic literacy, accessibility, research, or educational utility.
4. Permitted Integration Categories
PakPedia supports integrations that enhance:
4.1 Geographic Intelligence
- Mapping layers
- Jurisdictional boundaries
- Verified administrative GIS data
4.2 Civic Information Systems
- Government open-data feeds
- Institutional civic datasets
- Public office directories
4.3 Educational Tools
- Translation engines
- Accessibility systems
- Learning support tools
4.4 Research & Analytics
- Non-personal civic statistics
- Academic datasets
- Public-sector monitoring tools
4.5 Technical Infrastructure
- Performance monitoring
- Uptime tracking
- Content formatting utilities
5. Prohibited Integration Categories
PakPedia rejects integrations involving:
- Political analysis or campaigning tools
- Data profiling or targeted advertising systems
- Surveillance technology
- Personal data collection services
- Manipulated or unofficial boundary data
- SEO link networks
- Misinformation or partisan influence tools
- Unverified or low-trust datasets
PakPedia maintains strict non-partisanship.
6. Integration Approval Process
Organizations requesting integration must email:
Required information:
- Source name and organization
- Description of the tool or dataset
- Purpose of integration
- Technical documentation (if applicable)
- Expected public benefit
- Compliance notes (neutrality, accuracy, privacy)
PakPedia conducts an internal review based on:
- Civic authority verification
- Legal consistency
- Technical security
- Ethical impact
- Sustainability
Only integrations that meet all criteria are approved.
7. Data Validation Requirements
Integrations must:
- Use official or validated sources
- Provide timestamps for datasets
- Retain original context and meaning
- Ensure no alteration of legal or civic data
- Provide traceable metadata
Where conflicting data exists, PakPedia uses the controlling legal authority.
8. Security Standards for Integrations
8.1 Technical Controls
Integrated systems must adhere to:
- Secure API protocols
- Encrypted communication
- Rate limits and throttling
- Sandboxing for non-trusted sources
8.2 Access Restrictions
Third-party services may only access:
- Data specifically permitted
- Non-sensitive civic content
- Public APIs under controlled conditions
8.3 No Write Access
External services are not allowed to write, edit, modify, or delete PakPedia content directly.
All updates must follow the Civic Data Submission Policy.
9. Attribution Requirements
When third-party datasets or tools contribute to PakPedia content:
- The source must be cited clearly
- License terms must be followed
- Update frequency must be documented
- Disclaimer notes may be added if required
PakPedia will not obscure the origin of external data.
10. Maintenance & Review
10.1 Monitoring
Integrated systems are periodically monitored for:
- Accuracy
- Security risks
- API stability
- Bias or misuse
10.2 Update Obligations
External providers must notify PakPedia of:
- API changes
- Deprecated endpoints
- Updated datasets
- Discovered inaccuracies
10.3 Renewal Cycle
Integrations undergo an annual review under the Transparency Report process.
11. Termination of Integrations
PakPedia may suspend or terminate an integration if:
- It becomes inaccurate
- It introduces bias
- It violates security requirements
- It changes ownership or data policy
- It is used for political or commercial influence
- It becomes unreliable or unstable
Termination notices may be documented in platform updates.
12. Legal & Ethical Compliance
All integrations must comply with:
- Pakistani law
- International digital ethics standards
- Accessibility principles
- Neutrality expectations
- Privacy protections
- License requirements
PakPedia does not integrate with systems that compromise civic integrity.