The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started blocking unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) throughout the country. A PTA insider revealed that a specialized firewall is employed to deactivate these unregistered VPNs for a process known as safe listing.
The use of unregistered VPNs poses a security risk, allowing unauthorized access to private data and potentially facilitating the dissemination of illegal content, according to PTA sources. In its commitment to protect both organizational and public data, the PTA actively prevents access to such content.
The campaign to get VPNs registered began in 2020, and since then, around 20,500 VPNs have been officially registered over the past 14 years. As of now, 1,422 companies have successfully registered their VPNs with the authority.
The PTA is looking to expedite the registration and whitelist process of VPNs. This approach aligns with the policies of several other nations, such as China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others, where unregistered VPNs are banned. In some countries, like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, only business-approved VPN usage is allowed. In Pakistan, however, VPNs for business purposes remain permissible.
Recently, numerous Pakistani users have encountered disruptions with free VPN services, particularly those used to access the social media platform X, following a government ban. Reports indicate these free services are now non-functional.
Adding to the controversy, it has been noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, despite the ban on platform X, has occasionally circumvented this restriction using a VPN to post on the site. Requests for comments from the PTA spokesperson on the VPN blockages have remained unanswered.
