LONDON: Pakistan is aiming to block the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, to prevent users from accessing the social media platform, X, as they seek to circumvent the current ban on it.
The Express Tribune reported on Thursday that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority will conduct a screening process to whitelist compliant VPNs, effectively limiting public access to specific services.
PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman, in a meeting with the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, confirmed that only selected VPNs would be allowed following the whitelisting process.
Pakistan blocked access to X ahead of national elections in February this year, citing national security concerns and the platform’s failure to comply with government directives and address concerns about the misuse of its platform.
The move has been criticized by rights groups as an attempt to limit the free flow of information.
Rehman said that Musk’s platform complied with only 7 percent of content-related complaints from the government over the past three months.
Despite a significant 70 percent drop in X’s use in Pakistan, users have been bypassing the ban through VPN services, which establish a digital connection between the device and a remote server, allowing them to sidestep website blocks and firewalls.
During the meeting, Rehman also discussed plans for a 5G auction scheduled for March-April next year. Additionally, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar addressed the issue of taxation on social media earnings.
Rehman said that the PTA was prepared to lift the ban on X whenever the government requested it.
Pakistan is the world’s fifth-largest nation by population, with 57 percent having Internet access, according to government data.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has cracked down on users propagating political or religious belligerence and making allegations against the nation’s powerful military on social media.
Many Internet users have been detained on allegations such as running a hate campaign against the army.
