- PTA blocks over 844,000 web sites, greater than 100,000 URLs for express content material.
- Unregistered VPNs cited as safety dangers; PTA accelerates VPN registration.
- Complaints of gradual VPN speeds rise as PTA restricts unauthorised VPNs.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis are making as much as two million day by day makes an attempt to entry blocked express content material by way of unregistered digital personal networks (VPNs), regardless of authorities restrictions, in accordance with sources who spoke to Geo Information.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has intensified efforts to limit such websites, having already blocked over 844,000 immoral web sites and greater than 100,000 offensive uniform useful resource locators (URLs).
As a result of widespread use of unregistered VPNs to bypass restrictions, complaints of gradual VPN speeds have elevated. In response, the PTA has begun blocking unregistered VPNs, citing not solely safety dangers but additionally considerations about unauthorised entry to unlawful content material.
The sources revealed that the PTA is working to expedite the whitelisting of authorised VPN providers to handle these points.
Officers from the PTA stated that unregistered VPNs pose vital safety dangers by probably permitting unauthorised entry to delicate knowledge. The authority has additionally quickly restricted sure VPNs to facilitate their registration and inclusion in its whitelist.
For the reason that VPN registration course of started in 2010, round 20,500 VPNs have been registered, protecting over 1,422 firms, with efforts underway to speed up compliance.
Many customers have reported disruptions in free VPN providers, affecting safe looking capabilities. PTA officers assured that measures are being taken to streamline VPN registration whereas stopping unlawful entry. VPNs are generally used worldwide to bypass content material restrictions.
Lately, the Ministry of Non secular Affairs urged the PTA to dam and limit entry to pornographic, blasphemous, and different dangerous on-line content material.
In a letter to the highest telecommunication regulator, the Non secular affairs ministry expressed considerations over Pakistan turning into “one of many main international locations by way of viewing pornographic content material, which is very alarming, particularly in mild of its unfavourable impression on public morality and the well-being of our society”.
In the meantime, the PTA has actively blocked URLs carrying “anti-Islam, indecent, and immoral” content material, reaching about 1.3 million blocked URLs as of July 2024.
A report shared with the Peshawar Excessive Court docket earlier this month famous that the PTA’s net monitoring system had processed 1.38 million URLs, blocking 93.84% (or 1.303 million) on account of inappropriate content material.
Additional particulars reveal that of the URLs blocked, 1.02 million have been categorised underneath “decency and immorality,” with others associated to safety, defamation, sectarian hate speech, and contempt of courtroom.
147,569 Fb URLs, 125,600 TikTok URLs, and 53,872 Twitter URLs have been blocked, amongst others.
The PTA additionally disclosed that from 2020 onwards, TikTok has eliminated over 113,000 gadgets labeled as immoral or anti-Islamic, with 24,800 removals this yr alone.