PTA Blocked 6.5 Million Porn Sites, Indian Misinformation Campaigns

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked 6.5 million porn sites and, since February 2025, restricted access to Indian digital content accused of spreading misinformation and launching cyber-attacks, using its Web Monitoring System (WMS), official documents have revealed.

According to the documents, WMS is a license-mandated system jointly deployed by telecom operators, including PTCL, mobile companies, long-distance, and international operators. The authority clarified that the system is not funded by the government, nor is it designed to shut down or throttle internet services across the country.

PTA Blocked 6.5 Million Porn Sites, Indian Misinformation Campaigns

Officials said WMS is a private procurement by operators in line with their license obligations and has been operational in one form or another since 2008, with periodic upgrades to enhance monitoring of internet bandwidth, curb grey traffic, and block objectionable online content.

The PTA derives its authority to remove or block unlawful online material from Section 37(1) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, which allows restrictions on grounds including national security, public order, decency, morality, contempt of court, and the “glory of Islam.”

To regulate the exercise of these powers, the federal government notified the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2021. These rules outline a structured complaint mechanism, require issuance of notices, and mandate written orders after providing an opportunity of hearing to the content provider or uploader, except in emergencies.

See Also: MoITT Reveals Key Causes Behind Slow Mobile Internet Across Pakistan

Under Rule 5, compliance timelines are set at 48 hours, reduced to 12 hours in emergency cases, while Rule 4(5) ensures confidentiality for complainants in sensitive matters. The rules also authorize enforcement actions, including service degradation, system-level blocking, and penalties of up to PKR 500 million for non-compliance.

The documents further note that an aggrieved party may seek a review before the PTA under Section 37(4) of PECA, followed by an appeal before the High Court under Section 37(5), providing judicial oversight over content-blocking decisions.

In addition to pornographic and unlawful material, WMS has been used to block Indian-origin content accused of running coordinated misinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks against Pakistan. The same system was also employed to block access to Twitter (X) following government directives.