ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided not to impose a nationwide ban on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This decision, announced on December 1, 2024, comes after receiving legal advice from the Law Ministry, which clarified that the government does not have the legal authority to enforce such a ban under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
The Interior Ministry had initially sought the ban, expressing concerns over the misuse of VPNs by terrorists and individuals accessing illegal content. However, the Law Ministry pointed out that while PECA allows the blocking of specific online content, it does not extend to blocking the tools used to access that content, such as VPNs. Following this clarification, the Interior Ministry is expected to withdraw its request for the ban.
Previously, the PTA had set a deadline of November 30, 2024, for the mandatory registration of VPNs, focusing on businesses and freelancers, rather than individual users. As a result, approximately 27,000 VPNs were registered, with an additional 7,000 registrations following the announcement of the potential ban. Many software houses expressed concerns about the potential adverse effects a VPN ban could have on their businesses, highlighting the importance of VPNs for secure online work.
Read More: VPN U-Turn: CII Chairman Denies Declaring Virtual Private Networks “Un-Islamic
This decision marks the conclusion of a contentious debate on regulating VPN use in Pakistan, following a surge in VPN usage after the government’s ban on X (formerly Twitter) in February 2024.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.