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Pakistan Plans to Prevent VPN Workaround to Its Ban on Musk’s X

(Bloomberg) -- Pakistan plans to review the virtual private network services available in the country as a step to prevent users skirting its ban on accessing Elon Musk’s X social platform.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority will conduct a screening process and white-list the VPNs it considers compliant, chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman said speaking to a parliament committee, as reported by The Express Tribune. Since the government’s ban of X in February — on national security grounds — its usage in the South Asian nation has plummeted 70%, according to Rehman, but many people have turned to VPNs to spoof their location and continue using the service.

Although it is officially banned, X is still one of the main platforms that the Pakistani government uses to release statements and disseminate information. X, formerly Twitter, complied with only 7% of complaints about content from the government in the past three months, said Rehman.

Representatives for X did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Pakistan blocked access to X ahead of national elections this year, in a move that’s been criticized by rights groups as an act to limit the free flow of information. The elections were accompanied by allegations of vote rigging, which have been denied by the government. The South Asian nation also regularly stops mobile services nationwide, citing security issues.

Pakistan is the world’s fifth largest nation by population, with 57% having internet access, according to government data. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration has also launched a crackdown on users who propagate political or religious belligerence and any allegations against the nation’s powerful military on social media. Many internet users have been detained on allegations including running a hate campaign against the army.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.