The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that it is following through with its plan to regulate the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), according to an official notification.
The announcement came amid speculation that the VPNs would be banned completely, which sparked a wave of concern and alarm as X (previously Twitter) remains suspended in the country. X was blocked on February 17, 2024, a week after the general elections were held. The users have since been accessing the platform using VPNs.
“In response to recent media reports regarding PTA blocking VPNs, it is clarified that no such action has been taken and all kinds of blocking is undertaken only under the directions of the government of Pakistan in accordance with legal frameworks and guidelines,” the PTA said in an Instagram post.
X was arbitrarily banned by then caretaker government for unspecified threats to national security. After several weeks of prevaricating the demand for an explanation behind the ban, the telecom regulator revealed that it blocked X on the directives of the interior ministry. Government officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been actively using X, however, despite the authorities explicitly stating in the court that X poses threats to national security.
As for VPNs, the PTA claims their “whitelisting” are meant for “smooth and secure functioning of the IT services and online businesses”. According to the regulator, VPNs are being whitelisted through an automated process available at the PTA and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) websites.
A VPN is an encrypted connection to the internet from a device. It is used to browse the internet without being detected and to access banned websites. They are also used by various businesses to protect sensitive data of their customers, such as account passwords.
The PTA has time and again issued notifications calling for the registration of VPNs. The persistent calls for registration of VPNs by the PTA have attracted widespread criticism and condemnation from regular users, journalists, and rights defenders. Many have termed it a violation of users’ privacy on the internet and a draconian attempt to surveil and control people’s online interactions.
