Over one million websites and 140 mobile applications involved in different unlawful/objectionable activities have been prohibited by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
According to the documents, the PTA Headquarters has formed a specialized Monitoring Cell to monitor internet content and answer concerns from the general public and government agencies.
Overall Websites Blocking by Category
| Category | Total Processed |
| Contempt of Court | 8,673 |
| Defense of Pakistan | 36,820 |
| Glory of Islam | 77,692 |
| Defamation/Impersonation | 7,690 |
| Miscellaneous | 6,562 |
| Decency and Morality | 903,074 |
| Proxy | 10,219 |
| Sectarian/Hate Speech | 40,365 |
| Total | 1,091,095 |
A multi-pronged strategy should be established to minimize the posting of unauthorized content on multiple platforms, according to the PTA, in light of the vast volume of content being shared on digital media.
In this sense, the following activities are expected to be taken:
- Registration of major Social Media (SM) platforms in line with Rule 7(6) of the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules, 2021.
- Holding of special sessions with moderation teams of SM platforms, especially with regard to sensitivity. (sacrilegious/sectarian) content that can lead to real-world harm.
- Creating short videos (15 to 30 seconds) about the safe, responsible, legitimate, and productive use of the Internet/SM. The videos will be disseminated through electronic and social media for public awareness.
- Conducting seminars and training sessions in universities and judicial academies to educate students and the judicial fraternity regarding the challenges posed by SM.
In the last three years, the PTA has launched 53 raids to eliminate unlawful telecom setups and grey telephony, resulting in the confiscation of 163 illegal gateways and 35 arrests.
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