TikTok says that it is the responsibility of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to report “blasphemous” content to the platform, according to a report by Geo News.
TikTok made these remarks in a letter submitted to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) in a hearing for a petition calling for a permanent ban against the short-video platform. The application, filed last month by a lawyer, seeks countrywide takedown of TikTok over claims of “blasphemous” content.
In response, TikTok says it received no directives from the telecom regulator of late in connection with violations of the country’s blasphemy laws, and that the platform proceeds with content removal following correspondence from the PTA.
The respondents named in the petition include the PTA, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Ministry of Information.
In the letter, TikTok says that it takes cases pertaining to blasphemy seriously in Pakistan, for which the company has constituted a special portal.
“It is precisely because of this seriousness that TikTok has taken measures and provided special access to a dedicated portal to the PTA to report such content for expedited review by TikTok,” says TikTok.
The popular short-video platform has reached out to the telecom regulator, it adds.
“Hence, having come across this news report, we have also reached out to PTA to invite them to report the relevant content, and we await their response in this regard,” TikTok says in the letter.
In the last hearing, the PHC directed the PTA to remove blasphemous content from TikTok.
TikTok has faced four bans over “immoral” and “indecent” content in Pakistan.
