Yet again, Pakistan’s most popular video-hosting platform TikTok, which is used by the creators to make and share short videos for creativity and fun purposes has been banned by Peshawar High Court’s Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan. This ban is imposed on TikTok due to indecent and immoral videos posted on the app. According to the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, the videos uploaded on this app are “unacceptable for Pakistani society” and are spreading vulgarity throughout the nation.
Although, this company has about 33 million users last month in Pakistan, yet due to unacceptable and objectionable videos on the app, on Thursday the 11th of March, the High Court of Peshawar ordered Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) to ban TikTok. In the statement, it was ordered by the Court to block all the access and services of the TikTok app. However, we (at the time of writing this piece) tried opening the app through the web and it was still easily accessible.
This is not the first time that this widely used app was banned in Pakistan. Last year in October, TikTok faced a similar allegation, as PTA received complaints about indecent videos being posted on the platform, and that the app has failed to filter any unethical videos that were being posted. Hence, it was banned, but ten days later the ban was lifted by PTA as they were told by the company that they will make sure to block all the accounts that are involved in the extension of any sort of vulgarity and immorality. Despite the warnings given to the company for several months after the first ban imposed on the app, the concerns were not addressed by the company. Hence, causing the High Court to ban this social app again.
This step to ban this Chinese app was initially taken by Pakistan's neighboring country India. Even though India had been the biggest international market for TikTok company before it was banned, yet, it banned the TikTok app throughout the country last year due to the same reason of immoral and indecent videos being uploaded on the app. Trump also had an inefficient attempt to force the US tech firm that was affiliated with the Chinese government to have a survey of this platform to check its guidelines to monitor the content that is uploaded on the app. Similarly, there are about 100 million users around South Asian nations, but still, the app is facing serious opposition to the laws and regulations regarding obscene and indecent content shared on this app.
Although, this company has about 33 million users last month in Pakistan, yet due to unacceptable and objectionable videos on the app, on Thursday the 11th of March, the High Court of Peshawar ordered Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) to ban TikTok. In the statement, it was ordered by the Court to block all the access and services of the TikTok app. However, we (at the time of writing this piece) tried opening the app through the web and it was still easily accessible.
This is not the first time that this widely used app was banned in Pakistan. Last year in October, TikTok faced a similar allegation, as PTA received complaints about indecent videos being posted on the platform, and that the app has failed to filter any unethical videos that were being posted. Hence, it was banned, but ten days later the ban was lifted by PTA as they were told by the company that they will make sure to block all the accounts that are involved in the extension of any sort of vulgarity and immorality. Despite the warnings given to the company for several months after the first ban imposed on the app, the concerns were not addressed by the company. Hence, causing the High Court to ban this social app again.
This step to ban this Chinese app was initially taken by Pakistan's neighboring country India. Even though India had been the biggest international market for TikTok company before it was banned, yet, it banned the TikTok app throughout the country last year due to the same reason of immoral and indecent videos being uploaded on the app. Trump also had an inefficient attempt to force the US tech firm that was affiliated with the Chinese government to have a survey of this platform to check its guidelines to monitor the content that is uploaded on the app. Similarly, there are about 100 million users around South Asian nations, but still, the app is facing serious opposition to the laws and regulations regarding obscene and indecent content shared on this app.
