Interesting debate on usage of VPNs take place a Senate Standing Committee
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 2nd, 2024) Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced that the PTA is in the process of whitelisting VPNs, meaning only approved VPNs will be accessible in Pakistan.
“Currently, only 30% of people in Pakistan use VPNs,” Rehman stated, emphasizing the potential for VPNs to be blocked. These comments were made during a Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat meeting chaired by Rana Mahmoodul Hasan in Islamabad.
Social media platforms have been suspended in Pakistan since February 17 due to national security concerns, but they can still be accessed via VPNs. The PTA chairman mentioned that the ban on X (formerly known as Twitter) would be lifted whenever the government requested it.
Discussing VPN usage in Pakistan, Rehman noted that the usage of X decreased by 70% despite VPN availability.
He also mentioned that around 56% of the population has internet access and that a 5G auction is expected to take place in March-April next year.
He also informed the committee that only 7% of complaints submitted to X in the last three months were addressed, making X the platform with the lowest compliance rate among all social media platforms.
Rehman clarified that social media platforms are blocked only at the government’s request and that the PTA contacts the platforms regarding any complaints related to violations of Pakistani law.
When questioned about whether content creators pay taxes on income from international ads, Rehman said there is currently no legislation covering this issue.
