The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 844,008 websites featuring obscene and profane content. Over 100,000 URLs deemed blasphemous have also been restricted

The PTA has also begun temporarily blocking unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). As per  the PTA, this measure was taken to facilitate the evaluation and white-listing of VPNs deemed safe. According to PTA, unregistered VPNs pose a significant security risk, as they can potentially be exploited to access sensitive information.

Amid reports of restricted access and widespread connectivity issues, the PTA launched an online portal to streamline the VPN registration process.

To facilitate legitimate VPN usage, the PTA urged sectors such as IT firms, software developers, freelancers, and financial institutions to register their VPNs. The registration process requires these entities to provide specific details about their activities to ensure secure and compliant VPN use while preventing unauthorized access.

PTA’s regulation of VPNs is not a new initiative. Since the policy’s inception in 2010, around 20,500 VPNs have been registered.