PTA issues clarification on VPNs blockage in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday reiterated that virtual private networks (VPNs) are not being blocked in Pakistan.

"Recent news circulating in media about PTA to block VPNs, it is clarified that VPNs are not being blocked in Pakistan," the telecommunication authority said in a statement .

A VPN forms a digital connection between a user's computer and a remote server owned by a VPN provider, creating a point-to-point tunnel that encrypts the user's personal data, masks their IP address, and lets them sidestep website blocks and firewalls on the internet, ensuring that their online experiences are private, protected, and more secure.

In Pakistan, users have been increasingly using VPNs for site accessibility especially after the the block of Elon Musk owned social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and internet disruptions. The users also install VPNs for fast connections on websites and applications as well as for speedy downloads.

Notably, users across the country have been facing internet disruptions for the past several weeks with the authorities blaming the disruption on the "faulty" submarine cable and expecting the issue to be resolved by early October this year.

The internet disruptions faced strong criticism from netizens and information technology (IT) sector, attributing the prevailing internet slowdown and limited connectivity to the purported testing of an internet firewall to rein in social media, which is equipped with filters to block unwanted content from reaching a wider audience.

It is also important to know that the government has previously blamed a surge in VPN use for the slowdown.

As of now, the authority is encouraging all IT companies, software houses, freelancers and banks etc to register their internet protocols (IPs) for using VPNs, so that in case of any disruption, the internet services to these entities are not affected, the PTA added.

Additionally, the authority’s statement mentioned that VPN registration is a “one window operation” available at PTA and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) websites that takes two to three days and is free of cost.

Previously, PTA announced registration of VPNs under "one window" operations in order to facilitate businesses of software houses, call centres, freelancers and foreign missions/embassies for their legitimate, secure and uninterrupted operations.

A statement by the authority said that over 20,000 IPs had been registered for VPNs since 2020.

Prior to this, amid reports of ban on VPNs, PTA clarified that it was whitelisting VPNs through an "automated process" to ensure the smooth and secure functioning of IT services and online businesses.

The clarification came after PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman, in a briefing to the Senate's Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, confirmed that the PTA was whitelisting VPNs after which only selected proxy networks will be available in Pakistan.