Pakistan: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will soon block all unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across Pakistan. This decision was discussed in a Senate committee meeting on IT and Telecom, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman noted that complaints have been received about social media apps like TikTok, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter).
Senator Humayun Mohmand asked if using a VPN would break rules for assembly members. Rehman explained that the PTA aims to manage internet restrictions similar to those in Dubai and China. He also mentioned that over 20,500 VPNs have already been registered with the PTA, and more registrations are being collected. Unregistered VPNs will be blocked soon.
To handle this, the PTA has set up a system to register VPNs and whitelist IP addresses. VPNs can be registered on the PTA Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) website. This move follows internet slowdowns in July that disrupted digital businesses and freelancers, causing the IT industry in Pakistan to lose over $300 million. Freelancing platform Fiverr also listed Pakistani users as ‘Unavailable’ during this period.
