ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has commenced its second trial aimed at blocking unregistered VPNs using a firewall system, The News reported.
According to PTA sources, this trial will span two days, during which unregistered VPNs will be actively blocked as part of the process.
The initiative follows a previously successful trial, demonstrating the authority’s ability to restrict access to unregistered VPNs effectively.
It should be noted that the PTA has given a deadline of November 30 for the registration of unregistered VPNs. Regular blocking of unregistered VPNs will be started from December 1.
Starting from November 30, the government is set to enforce a restrictive new policy that will refrain internet users in Pakistan from accessing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The PTA only offers VPN registration to companies and freelancers who use these services for commercial purposes, a senior official of the state regulator PTA confirmed to The News.
As of now, this policy excludes ordinary users who rely on VPNs for online privacy or to access content including restricted news websites or social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter).
The Ministry of Interior had earlier this month issued a directive to the PTA chairman to block “illegal VPNs” nationwide.
“VPNs are increasingly being exploited by terrorists to facilitate violent activities,” the directive stated. “VPNs are also being used to discreetly access pornographic and blasphemous content.”
The ministry urged companies to register their VPNs by November 30.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, establishes a secure and encrypted internet connection, enabling users to protect their online activity from surveillance, censorship, and data theft.
During the current year, using VPNs has become a necessity for Pakistani online users due to increasing restrictions and unexplained social media outages.
In February, the government blocked X, citing “national security concerns.” While in July, users reported difficulties in sending and receiving media files on WhatsApp, a problem that persists for some even today.
The growing censorship has driven VPN usage up, with only ProtonVPN reporting a 350% increase in sign-ups on November 10.
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