According to individuals who spoke to media, Pakistanis are trying to access restricted explicit content through unregistered virtual private networks (VPNs) up to 20 million times every day in spite of government regulations.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which has previously blacklisted more than 100,000 objectionable URLs and over 844,000 immoral websites, has stepped up its efforts to censor these websites.
Slow speed complaints have increased as a result of the widespread use of unregistered VPNs to get around restrictions. The PTA has responded by beginning to prohibit unregistered VPNs, citing security threats as well as worries about unlawful information being accessed by unauthorized parties.
In order to address these problems, sources further disclosed that the PTA is attempting to expedite the whitelisting procedure for approved VPN providers.
Unregistered VPNs pose significant security risks since they may allow unwanted access to private information, according to PTA officials. Some VPNs have been temporarily blocked by the government in order to make it easier for them to register and be added to the whitelist.
Over 1,422 enterprises have been covered by the 20,500 VPNs that have been registered since the VPN registration process started in 2010, and efforts are being made to speed up compliance.
Many customers have complained that their ability to browse safely has been hampered by interruptions in free VPN services. PTA representatives have promised to take action to expedite VPN registration while guarding against unauthorized access. VPNs are widely used globally to get around content restrictions.
The PTA was recently encouraged by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to prohibit and restrict access to undesirable information, including blasphemous and pornographic websites.
In a letter to the top telecommunications authority, the Ministry expressed concerns about Pakistan becoming “one of the leading countries in terms of viewing pornographic content,” which they said was alarming, especially given its negative impact on public morality and societal well-being.
Meanwhile, the PTA has been actively blocking URLs containing “anti-Islam, indecent, and immoral” content, with about 1.3 million URLs blocked as of July 2024.
A report shared with the Peshawar High Court earlier this month revealed that the PTA’s web monitoring system had processed 1.38 million URLs, blocking 93.84% (or 1.303 million) for inappropriate content.
