PTA Admits Limitations in Content Removal: Can Block Entire Platforms, Not Individual Posts
In a recent session with the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman offered a rare public glimpse into the agency’s digital oversight capabilities. He acknowledged that while the PTA can block entire websites or platforms, it lacks the technological infrastructure to remove individual pieces of content hosted on those platforms.
Rehman cited the United States and Israel as the only nations with the existing capacity to surgically filter content without banning entire platforms. “We rely heavily on social media companies to cooperate with content takedown requests,” he added, noting that approximately 80% of defamatory posts are successfully removed through liaison with platforms like Meta and TikTok.
A seven-member delegation from Meta is currently stationed at the PTA headquarters to improve content moderation collaboration. Still, Rehman emphasized the gap between Pakistan’s domestic legal framework and global platform policies, which often complicate enforcement.
VPNs remain another major concern. Over 40 VPN services are actively in use across Pakistan, allowing users to circumvent content restrictions altogether. “The use of VPNs renders our filtration systems ineffective,” said the chairman.
Turning to enforcement, representatives from the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) informed the committee that 554 individuals have been arrested for spreading defamatory or illegal content online. Of the 349 cases registered, only 12 have resulted in formal convictions.
Committee member Ali Muhammad Khan raised sharp criticism of platforms like TikTok, citing rampant circulation of indecent material. “I find it difficult to scroll through TikTok even with younger family members present,” he said. Khan urged the PTA to do more to curb obscenity online.
In response, the PTA acknowledged it could trace domestic violators but conceded that content originating from abroad often evades enforcement.
Meanwhile, the committee has requested a separate briefing from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on financial crime monitoring, signaling a broader interest in regulating Pakistan’s digital ecosystem more Tightly
