PTA has VPNs in crosshairs in fight against adult content

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Wednesday that the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) will be restricted in the future to curb access to pornographic content.

The country experienced major VPN glitches on Sunday, causing difficulties for IT companies and call centers in serving their overseas clients

However, the PTA issued a statement on Wednesday providing an update on its efforts to curb unlawful online content.

VPNs are commonly used worldwide to access content that may be restricted or blocked in a user's home country. In Pakistan, VPNs are often used to access X and other restricted websites.

The PTA reported that it has blocked 100,183 URLs containing blasphemous content and 844,008 pornographic websites to date.

"In addition to PTA's proactive efforts, individuals and government organisations also report such sites," the statement noted.

The telecom regulator added that approximately 20 million daily attempts were made from within the country to access pornographic websites, which were blocked at the international gateway.

"However, users bypass restrictions via VPNs to access pornographic content; PTA remains fully committed to addressing this issue and is taking all necessary measures to block such content effectively," the statement said.

Meanwhile, experts criticized the PTA, calling its actions "lame excuses".

"How would they know if people are watching porn through VPNs? They don't have the capability to monitor within VPNs; otherwise, they wouldn't need to block them," industry officials commented.

They added that the primary goal had been to block access to X and other social media platforms.

The PTA's statement was also in response to a letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, requesting that it block blasphemous content on social media.

The letter, forwarded by the ministry a day earlier, stated that they had observed pornographic and blasphemous material was still easily accessible on multiple online platforms.

It mentioned that the ministry had learned that Pakistan was among the countries with the highest viewership of adult content, which was alarming due to its negative impact on public morality.

It also referenced the Supreme Court's orders from January 2016, May 2016, and March 2018 regarding this issue.

The religious affairs ministry stated that the widespread availability of such content undermined efforts to protect citizens, especially young people, from exposure to harmful material.

Meanwhile, the PTA launched a VPN registration process, aiming to create a "secure environment" for the IT and e-commerce sectors in the country.

"The PTA introduced a streamlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk," a statement said.

The authority maintained that this simplified framework "supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA's commitment to Pakistan's expanding digital economy".

"As a proactive measure, companies and freelancers will be encouraged to register their VPNs to ensure smooth operations and mitigate disruptions," it added.

The development came as the PTA hosted a consultation session on its VPNs registration framework.

According to the statement, the meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, the Pakistan Software Export Board, and the Pakistan Software Houses Association.

"This consultation process underscores PTA's dedication to creating a safe, accessible, and compliant digital landscape, empowering the country's IT sector while safeguarding national security," the statement concluded.