A purported press release from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been circulating on social media, claiming that the government has shut down the popular video-sharing platform YouTube in the country. However, the claim is false.
On Friday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued a clarification addressing misinformation circulating on social media regarding the shutdown of YouTube. The telecom regulator said that the press release being shared is from 2012 and is no longer relevant.
The public has been urged to consult the PTA’s official website and verified social media channels for accurate and up-to-date information.
The original notice, issued in September 2012 under the directive of then-Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, ordered the immediate suspension of YouTube in response to nationwide protests against the controversial anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims”.
In its recent statement, the PTA acknowledged that the outdated document is being recirculated online, creating confusion about the current status of the platform.
“It has come to the attention of the PTA that an old press release regarding the shutdown of YouTube in Pakistan — originally issued in September 2012 in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court — is being recirculated online, causing unnecessary confusion among the public,” the statement noted.
The authority emphasized that the content being shared is obsolete and does not reflect the present situation. “No instructions have been issued by PTA to block or restrict access to YouTube or any other social media platform,” it confirmed.
