PTA Content Crackdown: 1.54 Million URLs Blocked Across Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms have blocked more than 1.54 million URLs on requests from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) across several categories of online content, according to official figures compiled up to July 2026.
The data shows that 1,726,303 URLs were processed in total, of which 1,542,800 were blocked, 76,874 remained under review, and 106,629 requests were rejected. The overall blocking rate stood at 89.37 percent.
The largest volume was recorded under the decency and morality category, where more than 1.07 million URLs were processed, and over 1.06 million were blocked.
| Category | Total Processed | Blocked | Under Review | Rejected | Blocking Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decency and Morality | 1,075,762 | 1,065,671 | 563 | 9,528 | 99.06% |
| Terrorism | 179,285 | 141,897 | 23,241 | 14,147 | 79.15% |
| Against the Glory of Islam | 136,891 | 112,482 | 19,191 | 5,218 | 82.17% |
| Against Security & Defense of Pakistan | 125,427 | 74,059 | 7,726 | 43,642 | 59.05% |
| Sectarian / Hate Speech | 76,526 | 52,776 | 12,814 | 10,936 | 68.96% |
| Miscellaneous | 67,778 | 60,525 | 2,988 | 4,265 | 89.30% |
| Defamatory / Impersonation | 44,200 | 17,356 | 10,342 | 16,502 | 39.27% |
| Proxy | 10,319 | 10,318 | 0 | 1 | 99.99% |
| Contempt of Court | 10,115 | 7,716 | 9 | 2,390 | 76.28% |
| Total | 1,726,303 | 1,542,800 | 76,874 | 106,629 | 89.37% |
The figures show that content linked to terrorism formed the second-largest category, with 179,285 URLs processed and 141,897 blocked. Another 23,241 URLs in the category were still under review.
Requests concerning content classified as against the glory of Islam totalled 136,891, with 112,482 URLs blocked, while content related to the security and defence of Pakistan accounted for 125,427 processed URLs, of which 74,059 were blocked.
The data also highlights a near-total blocking rate in the proxy category, where 10,318 out of 10,319 URLs were blocked.
By contrast, the defamatory and impersonation category recorded the lowest blocking rate among the listed classifications at 39.27pc, with 17,356 out of 44,200 processed URLs blocked.
Overall, the figures indicate the scale of online content moderation requests being routed through the PTA, with decency and morality-related content accounting for the overwhelming majority of blocked URLs.
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