Pakistan Sees Surge in Attempts to Access Porn Websites Despite Intensified Government Restrictions
Pakistanis are making up to 20 million daily attempts to access blocked explicit content via unregistered virtual private networks (VPNs), despite the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) efforts to curb such activity.
A recent report by Geo News highlights that the PTA has blocked over 844,000 explicit websites and 100,000 offensive URLs in a bid to uphold content restrictions, but widespread use of unregistered VPNs has persisted, leading to reports of slow VPN speeds.
In response, the PTA has ramped up efforts to block unregistered VPNs, citing security concerns as well as unauthorized access to prohibited content. Officials revealed that unregistered VPNs pose potential risks by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data, prompting the PTA to temporarily restrict certain VPNs as it works to facilitate a whitelisting process for approved services.
Since the PTA began VPN registration in 2010, around 20,500 VPNs have been registered across 1,422 companies. However, disruptions in free VPN services have impacted user experience, especially for those relying on VPNs for secure browsing. PTA officials have assured the public of measures to streamline VPN registration while preventing illegal access, as VPNs are increasingly used globally to bypass content restrictions.
The push for stricter regulation of online content has garnered support from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, which recently urged the PTA to block content deemed pornographic, blasphemous, or harmful. In a letter to the PTA, the ministry expressed alarm over Pakistan’s high ranking in global viewership of explicit content, emphasizing the importance of protecting public morality and societal well-being.
As of July 2024, the PTA has blocked approximately 1.3 million URLs carrying “anti-Islam, indecent, and immoral” content. A report submitted to the Peshawar High Court earlier this month showed that the PTA’s web monitoring system had processed 1.38 million URLs, blocking over 93% of them for inappropriate content, including 1.02 million flagged as “indecent or immoral.” Other blocks targeted URLs associated with security concerns, defamation, sectarian hate speech, and contempt of court.
Notably, the PTA has blocked 147,569 URLs on Facebook, 125,600 on TikTok, and 53,872 on Twitter. Additionally, TikTok has removed more than 113,000 items deemed immoral or anti-Islamic since 2020, with 24,800 removals reported this year alone.
This ongoing campaign by the PTA underscores the challenges faced by authorities in regulating online content amidst widespread VPN use and the public’s demand for unregulated access.
