The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started blocking of unregistered VPNs across the country, citing security concerns and a need to regulate VPN usage.
According to PTA sources, the action is being enforced through a firewall to identify and temporarily block VPNs that have not been officially registered. "VPNs are being temporarily blocked for whitelisting," PTA sources said.
PTA officials highlighted that unregistered VPNs can pose a risk by potentially accessing sensitive data and enabling access to illegal or objectionable content.
PTA began the registration of VPNs in 2010, and since then, approximately 20,500 VPNs have been registered, representing over 1,422 companies, as reported by PTA sources.
The authority is now aiming to expedite the VPN registration and whitelisting process to improve security measures and transparency. Sources also pointed out that various countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have adopted similar practices, with some allowing VPNs exclusively for business purposes.
In Pakistan, there are no restrictions on using VPNs for business needs, according to PTA officials. However, users who rely on free VPN services to access platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have reported service disruptions in recent hours, as many free VPNs have been affected by the current blocking efforts.
