The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated the blocking of unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bolster internet security and protect users from potential threats.
PTA officials stated that unregistered VPNs pose significant security risks, including unauthorized access to sensitive information and the ability to bypass content restrictions.
To mitigate these threats, the government is temporarily blocking certain VPNs as part of a process to include them in PTA’s official white-list. The VPN registration process, which began in 2010, has already seen over 20,500 VPNs and more than 1,422 companies successfully register.
Users have recently reported disruptions in accessing free VPN services, but officials assured that efforts are underway to simplify the white-listing process and reduce illegal VPN usage in Pakistan.
VPNs are widely used globally to bypass content restrictions, with Pakistanis primarily using them to access X (formerly Twitter), which remains banned. The government has stated that the ban will only be lifted if X registers within the country.
In a recent move, the government conducted a six-hour firewall test on Sunday, temporarily blocking several VPNs, marking the first significant instance of a nationwide internet disruption.
The PTA has urged businesses, IT firms, and freelancers to register their VPN IPs to ensure uninterrupted internet access.
