PTA unblocks TikTok after 10 days
News Desk:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that TikTok is being unblocked after assurance from the management that they will block all accounts spreading immorality and obscenity. “TikTok will moderate the account in accordance with local laws,” tweeted the authority.
The video-sharing app was blocked on October 9 for its “obscene and immoral” content. PTA at the time had said it earlier issued a “final notice” to TikTok and gave the application “considerable time to respond and comply with” instructions for the development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of “unlawful online content”.
“If the Government of Pakistan decides to reopen access to our services in the future, we will certainly assess our allocation of resources to this market,” the carefully worded statement said.
TikTok banned by PTA citing obscenity
According to some estimates, the app has been installed 43 million times in Pakistan, with 14.7 million of those coming in the year 2020 alone. The app was banned in the country on Oct 9 with the regulator citing “obscenity” as the reason.
“Our services remain blocked in the country and we have received no communication from PTA,” the statement said.
“This is why we are disappointed that our users and creators in Pakistan are still unable to access TikTok, more than one week after our services were blocked by the PTA,” the press release said.
A senior PTA official, however, had said the TikTok management was clearly conveyed during the virtual meeting that compliance with the authority’s instructions was essential.
PTA unblocks TikTok after 10 days
