Pakistanis are attempting to access restricted explicit content through unregistered virtual private networks (VPNs) up to 20 million times daily, despite government efforts to block such access.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has previously blacklisted over 100,000 objectionable URLs and 844,000 immoral websites. The PTA has ramped up its efforts to block these sites, but the use of unregistered VPNs has led to complaints about slow internet speeds. To address these issues, the PTA has started banning unregistered VPNs, citing security concerns and the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information.
To resolve these problems, sources revealed that the PTA is working to speed up the approval process for VPN providers. Unregistered VPNs are considered a major security risk as they could expose private data to unwanted parties. Some VPNs have been temporarily blocked to help them register and be added to the approved list.
Since the VPN registration process began in 2010, more than 1,422 businesses have registered over 20,500 VPNs, and efforts are underway to improve compliance. However, many users have complained that disruptions in free VPN services have hindered their ability to browse safely. PTA representatives have promised to act quickly to streamline the VPN registration process while protecting against unauthorized access.
Globally, VPNs are widely used to bypass content restrictions, and the PTA has been under pressure from the Ministry of Religious Affairs to block access to undesirable content, including blasphemous and pornographic websites. The Ministry expressed concern over Pakistan becoming one of the top countries for viewing pornographic content, which they said negatively impacts public morality and societal well-being.
The PTA continues to block URLs containing “anti-Islam, indecent, and immoral” content, with over 1.3 million URLs blocked by July 2024. According to a report shared with the Peshawar High Court, the PTA’s web monitoring system processed 1.38 million URLs, blocking 93.84% (1.3 million) for inappropriate content.
