PTA’s Crackdown: Register your VPNs ASAP to Avoid Disruptions in Work

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) may soon block unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country, according to a news source. It was revealed during a recent Senate committee meeting on IT and Telecom. The meeting was chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.

During the meeting, the PTA Chairman pointed out a huge increase in complaints regarding social media platforms. TikTok accounted for 95%, Meta for 65%, and X for 22% of the total complaints, according to official data. This increase has pushed the telecom regulator to consider strict measures against unregistered VPNs.

Consequently. businesses including software houses, call centers, freelancers, and foreign missions, are advised to register their VPNs to avoid any disruption. The entities can visit the PTA and PSEB official websites to complete their VPN registration.

On the other hand, Senator Humayun Mohmand during the meeting questioned whether VPN use by lawmakers would violate current policies. In response, the PTA chairman said that the authority aims to regulate internet usage in the country and may follow the model implemented in Dubai and China.

Moreover, the data shows that more than 20,500 VPNs have been registered with the telecom regulator. To facilitate the process, the PTA, the Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), have launched a “one-window” registration system. Since 2020, this initiative has enabled over 20,000 IP registrations.

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Over 20,000 VPNs Registered as PTA Tightens Grip on Digital Security in Pakistan