PTA suggests blocking VPNs in Pakistan
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is working on a plan to manage VPN use in Pakistan. They will allow some proxy networks and block others. PTA Chairman Maj General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman shared this information during a recent parliamentary meeting.
In a Senate meeting, Rehman explained that once the new policy is set, only approved VPNs will work in Pakistan, and all others will be blocked.
In 2024, many local internet users started using VPNs a lot more, mainly to access X (formerly Twitter), which has been banned in the country since February 19.
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A report from Top10VPN, an independent VPN review site, says that demand for proxy networks went up by 131% on February 19, just two days after X was banned.
The increased use of VPNs to access X has led to doubts about how effective the ban is. However, the PTA chairman told the Senate committee that the number of X users in Pakistan has dropped by 70%, with only 30% still accessing the platform through VPNs.
Even with this, X’s user base in Pakistan remains small compared to other social media platforms. DataReportal reported 4.5 million users in early 2024. This indicates that regulating VPN usage might have wider effects on the IT sector, which depends on VPNs for many functions.
The PTA chairman also warned that a total ban on VPNs could cause many IT businesses that rely on them to collapse.
The government has tried to regulate VPN usage before by requiring registration, but these attempts have not been very effective. In 2022, the PTA asked public and private sector organizations, foreign missions, and freelancers to register their VPNs to prevent disruptions. The PTA also introduced VPN regulations in 2010, but enforcement has been uneven.
Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, a member of the committee, noted that several social media platforms accused of breaching Pakistan’s security laws have agreed to set up offices in the country, including virtual ones.
He pointed out that about 132 million Pakistanis use social media for business, but these platforms are not taxed.
Minister Tarar suggested that social media revenues should be taxed in Pakistan, similar to other countries.
Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hasan expressed concerns about taxes on cellular advertisements. Senator Farooq H. Naek recommended that the committee review national and international legislation to propose measures that ensure public access to digital services.
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