Follow Us on Google News
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has confirmed the use of a controversial Web Monitoring System (WMS) to block online applications and websites within the country.
In a written statement to parliament, the minister overseeing the cabinet division, which administers the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), acknowledged that the system has already been deployed to restrict access to certain websites and applications in Pakistan.
In response to a question from Shahida Rehmani, a lawmaker from Sindh, the minister—effectively representing the prime minister—admitted that the WMS utilizes deep packet inspection technology to detect and block VPN traffic, enabling the government to monitor all Internet traffic entering or leaving the country.
Millions of Pakistanis have been experiencing a months-long Internet slowdown. Nearly half of the country’s population has encountered difficulties accessing social media platforms, including the popular messaging app WhatsApp.
They suspect the state is testing a firewall—a security system that monitors and potentially controls online spaces. While the government has attributed the slowdown to damaged underwater cables, it has also blamed an increase in VPN usage and acknowledged that the country is “undergoing a transition.”
