Tech Desk
Aug 02, 2024
The use of VPNs in Pakistan increased manifold following the government’s decision to impose a ban on Elon Musk’s X (formerly known as Twitter); however, the authorities are now planning to regulate the use of proxy networks.
During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Retd. Major General Hafeezur Rehman said that they are working on a plan to regulate the use of VPNs by whitelisting some proxy networks and blocking others.
According to a report by Top10VPN, an independent VPN review website, the demand for VPNs increased by 131% on February 19 — two days after the government blocked X in Pakistan.
Read more: When will X be restored in Pakistan?
The PTA chairman told the parliamentary body that due to the ban the number of X users in Pakistan has decreased by 70%. “Only 30% of users are accessing X through VPN,” Rehman said.
Responding to ideas like imposing a blanket ban on the use of VPNs, the PTA head raised concerns regarding the IT sector, which uses proxy networks for various purposes.
In response to a query by the committee’s chairman, Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hasan, the PTA chief said VPNs can be blocked in the country, but it will “lead to the collapse of several IT businesses that operate on VPNs.”
The government has repeatedly attempted to regulate the use of VPNs in Pakistan by registering them, but none of those plans resulted in any tangible action.
