Islamabad, November 13, 2024-The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked more than 900,000 links to offensive and pornographic content as part of its ongoing crackdown on illicit online material. This effort is bolstered by daily monitoring and increased oversight on websites flagged by citizens and governmental bodies.
A PTA spokesperson highlighted that Pakistan ranks among the top countries for online attempts to access pornographic content, with around 20 million access attempts blocked daily through international gateways. Despite these restrictions, VPNs are frequently used to bypass filters, allowing users to access restricted material.
According to PTA data, a total of 844,008 pornographic and 100,183 “blasphemous” URLs have been blocked through the authority’s web filtering systems since 2018. The PTA has pledged continued efforts to restrict offensive content in cooperation with legal and technical support.
In response to the high volume of VPN usage, PTA is evaluating further strategies to prevent circumvention of its filters, while aligning with international regulatory standards. VPNs are commonly used in Pakistan to access restricted platforms, including X, which remains banned in the country.
