ISLAMABAD: An international short-form video-sharing platform, TikTok, said on Thursday it removed over 9.85 million posts generated by Pakistani users between April and June for violating community guidelines, adding the country ranked second in terms of the volume of removed content in the world.
TikTok has been banned several times by Pakistani courts and regulatory authorities for circulating “immoral content.”
The company made the announcement as the Pakistani government approved new social media rules to regulate its cyberspace, including imposing a penalty of up to Rs500 million, or roughly $3 million, on service providers and social media companies in cases of statutory violations.
The rules, which have been under discussion since November last year, have invited fierce criticism from rights groups who fear they may be used to stifle dissent and free speech.
“To protect the safety of the community and the integrity of the platform, 81,518,334 videos were removed globally from April to June, comprising less than 1 percent of all uploaded content,” the company said in an official handout, adding: “With 9,851,404 videos removed, Pakistan ranked second in the world for the largest volume of videos taken down for Community Guidelines violations in Q2 2021.”
TikTok said 93 percent of the removed videos were take down within 24 hours of posting and 94.1 percent before being reported by a user.
“Even more promising, was the finding that 87.5 percent of removed content had zero views,” it added.
The company provided the figures from its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report which was released on Thursday and detailed the volume and nature of violative content and accounts removed from the platform during the second quarter of 2021.
Pakistan’s new social media rules provide an oversight mechanism under which service providers are required to make community guidelines available for users to access or use any online information system.
Social media companies are also required to not “knowingly host, display, upload, publish, transmit, update or share any online content in violation of local laws.”
Nearly 10 million Pakistani posts removed for violating community guidelines – TikTok
https://arab.news/vf8a6
Nearly 10 million Pakistani posts removed for violating community guidelines – TikTok
- The company says it took down more than 81 million videos worldwide between April and June 2021
- Pakistan approved rules to regulate social media with up to $3 million fine for violators
IMF mission begins talks in Islamabad as Pakistan seeks next program review
- Finance ministry confirms ‘kick-off meeting’ with visiting IMF delegation
- Review critical for next tranche under $7 billion bailout program
KARACHI: Pakistan began formal talks with a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation on Monday as the country prepares for the next review of its $7 billion bailout program.
The IMF team is in Pakistan to conduct a review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved in September 2024, a multi-year program aimed at stabilizing the economy after a balance-of-payments crisis, high inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Pakistan has so far received roughly $3 billion of the EFF. Successful completion of the latest review could pave the way for the release of the next tranche of funds, subject to IMF board approval.
Separately in 2024, Pakistan also secured about $1.3 billion under the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility, a climate-focused funding window aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to manage environmental and disaster-related risks.
“Kick-off meeting with IMF Mission held today,” the finance ministry said on Monday as it shared visuals of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and senior officials meeting the delegation in Islamabad.
IMF country representative in Pakistan, Mahir Binici, told Arab News in an emailed statement;
“An IMF mission led by Ms. Iva Petrova has started discussions with the authorities in Karachi and Islamabad on the third review of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement and the second review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).”
The discussions are expected to focus on Pakistan’s fiscal performance, revenue collection targets, structural reform implementation and broader macroeconomic stability measures agreed under the program.
The review comes at a sensitive time for Pakistan’s economy, with rising global oil prices and regional instability adding pressure to inflation and external accounts. Analysts say continued IMF engagement remains crucial for maintaining investor confidence and securing external financing.
Pakistan entered the IMF program to restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen public finances and rebuild foreign exchange reserves. Authorities have repeatedly described the reform agenda as necessary to ensure long-term economic resilience.
Further meetings between technical teams are expected over the coming days.
