Pakistan content takedown requests have crossed a striking milestone: the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) processed over 102,000 URLs in 2025 alone, with platforms removing roughly 70 out of every 100 flagged links. But one platform is missing from that compliance picture entirely, X (formerly Twitter), which has been fully blocked in the country since February 2024 for refusing to act on government orders. The gap between platforms that cooperate and one that does not is now reshaping the daily lives of Pakistani freelancers, small businesses, and digital marketers.
What the PTA’s Own Numbers Show
According to the PTA, a total of 102,010 URLs were processed in 2025 under regulatory enforcement. Out of these, 71,439 cases remained under review, 4,894 were rejected, and 25,677 were blocked, with an overall compliance rate of 70.03%.
The picture gets sharper when you look at individual platforms. YouTube recorded the highest compliance ratio at 83.81%, making it the most responsive major platform. Instagram followed at 80.38%, while Facebook reached 79.77%. TikTok processed 71.55% of requests.
Cumulatively, the numbers are even bigger. The PTA blocked over 1.54 million online URLs across major digital platforms by July 2026, with a takedown rate of 89.4%, meaning nearly nine out of every ten reported links were removed. PTA processed 1,726,303 URLs in total, of which 1,542,800 were blocked.
Why X Stands Apart From Every Other Platform
While YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok have all engaged with the PTA’s process, X has taken a very different path. Since February 17, 2024, X has been inaccessible in Pakistan without a VPN, and it was not until a month into the disruption that the government confirmed there was officially a ban in place. On March 20, 2024, the PTA submitted a notification issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to block access to X.
The government cited X’s refusal to take down content that Pakistani authorities considered illegal under local law. Pakistan’s primary legal framework for online activity is PECA, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, introduced in 2016, which defines online offences and grants authorities powers to act against digital content considered unlawful.
It is worth noting that digital experts and transparency reports of social networking websites confirm that the government cannot remove content itself, it must file a request to obtain data or flag content that violates local laws, and the PTA has to write to the authorities at each company directly. When a platform like X does not respond adequately, the only remaining tool the regulator has is a block.
Pakistan Content Takedown Requests and the Business Cost
This is not just a regulatory debate. The X block has real economic consequences for Pakistani users. X had 4.5 million users in Pakistan in early 2024, meaning the platform’s advertising reach in the country was equivalent to 1.9% of the population. Many of those users are freelancers and small business owners.
Freelancers and IT professionals in Pakistan rely heavily on X for networking, client engagement, and showcasing their skills, and the ban has disrupted these efforts, since platforms like X allow freelancers to connect with international clients, share expertise, and gain visibility.
Hisham Sarwar, a tech entrepreneur who runs several digital marketing companies in Pakistan, said small businesses were making losses because the shutdown had hit social media marketing, adding that “the absence of X has resulted in panic as it takes time to create content on Meta platforms.”
The stakes for Pakistan’s IT sector are high. Data from the State Bank of Pakistan shows that IT and IT-enabled services generated over $3.2 billion in export earnings in fiscal year 2023-24, reflecting a robust 24% year-on-year growth. According to the University of Oxford’s Online Labor Index, service providers from Pakistan made up 15.1% of all freelancers globally in 2024, behind only India and Bangladesh. Any platform access barrier directly threatens these numbers.
VPNs Fill the Gap, But Create New Problems
Most Pakistani X users have not stopped using the platform, they just switched to VPNs. A report by Top10VPN found that demand for proxy networks increased by 131% on February 19, two days after X was blocked. Surfshark, another VPN provider, said its new user acquisition in Pakistan climbed between 300 and 400% in the immediate aftermath of the ban.
But VPN access is not free of risk either. The PTA chief himself told a Senate committee that blocking VPNs entirely would “lead to the collapse of several IT businesses that operate on VPNs.” This means the government is caught between restricting one platform and risking damage to the entire tech sector it is trying to grow. Pakistan’s digital economy ambitions, which you can read more about in our coverage of Pakistan’s $60 billion digital economy target, depend heavily on keeping this ecosystem open and functional.
How Pakistan Compares Globally
Pakistan is not alone in filing large volumes of content removal requests, but its situation with X is unusual. X received 46,648 removal requests from Japan and 9,364 from Turkey in the first half of 2024, and the company complied with 68 to 80% of those requests. In 2024 overall, X disclosed 18,737 total account information requests by governments globally, and there were 72,703 account removal requests, with 70.82% ultimately approved.
So X does comply with other governments, just apparently not with Pakistan at a rate the PTA considers acceptable. This asymmetry is what makes the compliance gap so politically and economically sensitive here.
The data arrives during a period of heightened scrutiny over Pakistan’s digital regulation, with PTA recently signing a Letter of Intent with Meta on digital safety. That move shows the regulator is trying to build formal relationships with platforms, a smarter long-term approach than relying purely on blocks. The challenge of keeping platforms accountable while protecting Pakistan’s growing IT sector connects directly to the broader question of how Pakistan’s startup ecosystem can compete globally when access to global tools is inconsistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Pakistan file so many content takedown requests?
The PTA is required under PECA and the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules 2021 to act on complaints about illegal, blasphemous, defamatory, or anti-state content. Since the PTA cannot remove content directly from platforms, it files formal requests with each company. The volume of requests reflects both growing internet use and active enforcement of these laws.
Why is X still blocked in Pakistan when other platforms are not?
X was blocked in February 2024 after the government said the platform failed to comply with legal orders to remove specific accounts and content. Other platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok have maintained active compliance channels with the PTA and have acted on the majority of removal requests, which is why they remain accessible.
How does the X block affect Pakistani freelancers and IT businesses?
X was used by millions of Pakistani freelancers and marketers for client outreach, networking, and brand building. The block forces users onto VPNs, which adds cost, slows connections, and creates legal uncertainty. For a sector already generating $3.2 billion in annual IT exports, these are real friction points that can dent growth and competitiveness.
What happens if platforms keep ignoring Pakistan’s content takedown requests?
Under Pakistani law, the PTA’s main enforcement tool is a full platform block, which is what happened with X. However, a blanket block also harms local users and businesses, so it is a costly option for the government too. The regulator is now pursuing formal agreements with platforms, like its Letter of Intent with Meta, to create faster and more predictable compliance processes without resorting to outright bans.
