In a recent disclosure, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed that it has blocked 1.4 million URLs and 308 mobile apps for their involvement in illegal activities.
Blocking of 1.4 million URLs and 308 mobile apps
This move is part of the PTA’s ongoing effort to regulate digital content and ensure compliance with national laws and regulations.
The PTA’s document details its actions over the last year, including a breakdown of the URL types targeted for blocking.
PTA’s Document Details
A significant number of these (22,496 URLs) were deemed detrimental to Pakistan’s security and defence.
In addition, 27,901 URLs were flagged for content related to decency and morality, while 11,332 URLs were targeted for their perceived impact on the glory of Islam.
Beyond these categories, the PTA addressed URLs related to defamation and impersonation (5,946 URLs), hate speech and sectarianism (4,778 URLs), contempt of court (137 URLs), and proxy sites (32 URLs).
The PTA claims that its actions are consistent with the Electronic Crimes Act, which allows the authority to monitor digital content and respond quickly to complaints about materials deemed harmful to the state or religious sentiments.
To read our blog on “SHC bans PTA from shutting off Internet until elections,” click here
