For the fourth time in 15 months, Pakistan lifts the ban on TikTok

The government of Pakistan has once again lifted the ban on Chinese video-sharing app TikTok. After assurance from TikTok, Pakistan’s Media Regulatory Authority lifted the ban after four months. TikTok has assured that it will stop obscene content from spreading on its app. This is the fourth time in the last 15 months that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has imposed and lifted such a ban.

Like the rest of the world, TikTok is quite popular among Pakistani youth too. Pakistan had banned this app in the country for the first time in October 2020. This ban on the app was imposed after complaints that alleged expansion of obscene content through the app.

Pakistani regulatory agency issued a statement on Twitter Statement Said that TikTok had assured Pakistan that it would block users uploading “illegal content”. It is noteworthy that TikTok has been downloaded approximately 39 million times in Pakistan. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

Press Release: PTA has restored the services of TikTok on assurances of the Platform to control immoral / indecent content.

— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) November 19, 2021

Pakistan’s relations with China are well known and it has been urging TikTok to develop an effective system to control illegal content on its app.

In the last few years, Pakistan has also sent hundreds of complaints to Facebook and Twitter regarding content. It is alleged that their content is offensive and potentially an insult to Islam, which is against Pakistani law. In 2008, Pakistan banned YouTube over videos depicting Prophet Muhammad.

Well, it will be interesting to see for how long this ban is lifted on TikTok this time. There is little hope that TikTok will take strong steps to stop obscene content. TikTok was banned in India also last year.