YouTube records highest blocking rate among major social media platforms as regulator processes over 1.72 million URLs
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked more than 1.54 million online URLs across digital platforms through July 2026, according to the regulator’s latest platform-wise content moderation figures.
The PTA processed 1,726,303 URLs during the period and blocked 1,542,800, producing an overall blocking rate of 89.37 percent. Meanwhile, authorities kept 76,874 URLs under review and rejected requests involving another 106,629.
Facebook generated the largest number of cases among major social media platforms. The PTA processed 287,362 Facebook URLs and blocked 230,270, while 20,321 remained under review and 36,771 requests were rejected. The platform recorded an 80.13 percent blocking rate.
TikTok followed with 195,625 processed URLs. Authorities blocked 170,231, kept 14,094 under review and rejected 11,300.
YouTube leads major platforms in blocking rate
Among leading social media platforms, YouTube recorded the highest blocking rate at 88.60 percent. The regulator blocked 66,290 of 74,823 processed URLs.
Instagram recorded 54,335 cases, with the PTA blocking 45,510 URLs, representing an 83.76 percent rate.
In contrast, X recorded the lowest blocking rate among major platforms. Authorities processed 143,670 URLs linked to the platform but blocked 74,236, equivalent to 51.67 percent. Another 28,359 remained under review, while 41,075 requests were rejected.
Other online services record higher rates
WhatsApp recorded 55,414 processed URLs, with authorities blocking 50,165, producing a 90.53 percent blocking rate.
Furthermore, the PTA processed 8,329 SnackVideo URLs and blocked 7,225. Bigo and Likee collectively recorded 6,730 cases, with 6,539 blocked.
However, the miscellaneous category dominated overall enforcement activity. The PTA processed 899,415 URLs classified under “Others/Miscellaneous” and blocked 891,772, representing a 99.15 percent blocking rate.
The figures highlight the scale of the regulator’s continuing online content moderation and enforcement operations across Pakistan’s rapidly expanding digital landscape.
