LAHORE: The National Assembly has been informed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is utilizing the Web Monitoring System to restrict access to certain online applications and websites within Pakistan.
In response to questions about the PTA’s procedures, the minister responsible for the cabinet division, which oversees the PTA, revealed in a written statement on August 26 that the authority is mandated to block “unlawful content” under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
While the PTA also submits removal and blocking requests directly to platforms like Apple and Google, it has employed the WMS for broader “internet content management.”
The minister disclosed that the PTA has used the WMS to block a total of 469 mobile applications—435 on Android and 34 on Apple. These applications include those deemed offensive to Islam, immoral, or involved in fraudulent activities.
Notably, the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been officially blocked in Pakistan since February 17, and the website of the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been inaccessible since before the elections.
Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Khawaja Fatima had previously stated on August 15 that the WMS was crucial for addressing cyber security threats.
However, the minister responsible for the cabinet division did not address cybersecurity concerns in the context of content blocking in the National Assembly response.
Acquired from the Canadian company Sandvine in 2018 for $18.5 million, the WMS was upgraded in December 2023, which reportedly caused national internet disruptions. The system uses Deep Packet Inspection technology to block VPN traffic and monitor all internet traffic entering and leaving Pakistan.
Despite these measures, the minister admitted that content can still be accessed through VPNs, which bypass the state’s content restrictions. The PTA is working with various organizations to “whitelist” VPNs, having registered 20,437 so far.
The PTA has also launched an e-portal for government entities to request content removal. So far, 47 stakeholders, including ministries and law enforcement agencies, are utilizing this system.
Digital rights activist Ramsha Jahangir criticized the government’s use of the WMS, suggesting it indicates a broader pattern of internet filtering. She emphasized the need for transparency regarding the WMS’s procurement and funding.
