People in Pakistan could loose VPN access in a week

People in Pakistan could soon lose access to their VPN apps as the government sets the deadline for November 30, 2024, to implement a new policy regulating VPN usage.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is urging businesses and freelance workers to register their VPN services before the end of the month to avoid disruptions. The debate is still ongoing on whether or not commercial VPNs should also be blocked.

What’s certain is that residents increasingly rely on virtual private network (VPN) tools as a way to access restricted social media apps like X (formerly Twitter) which has been blocked since February. VPNs are also security software that anyone can use to boost their online privacy.

Crackdown on “unregistered VPNs”

The new directive doesn’t come as a surprise. The government first shared plans to regulate the use of VPNs back in August, in fact, to curb VPN misuse. Authorities have also deemed unregistered VPNs a “security risk” for Pakistan as they can be used to access “sensitive data.”

VPN usage is still permitted in Pakistan for legitimate purposes. These include banking, foreign missions, corporate enterprises, universities, IT companies, call centers, and freelance professionals.

Pakistan telecom authority affirms support for ‘positive’ VPN use – YouTube

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“We don’t say block the VPNs, but to regulate the VPNs. If somebody needs a VPN for business purposes, for some positive use, nobody will stop him, let me reassure you, we will facilitate him,” said PTA chairman Major General (r) Hafeezur Rehman on Thursday at the Youth Safety Summit Pakistan conference organized together with TikTok and the PTA (see video above).

Rehman also pointed out that PTA issued the first letter for VPN registration almost “15 years ago,” in December 2010.

VPN usage at risk for all?

As the deadline approaches, digital rights experts are worried that the new policy could negatively affect Pakistanis’ rights to privacy, free speech, and free access to information.

As the Pakistani English-speaking publication Dawn reported at the beginning of the week,…