PTA using Web Monitoring System to block online content in Pakistan, NA told

LAHORE: The National Assembly has been informed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is using the controversial Web Monitoring System (WMS) to block online applications and websites in Pakistan.

The minister in charge for the cabinet division, a division that has administrative control over the PTA, was questioned about the PTA’s procedures for blocking web applications in the country.

In a written response sent on August 26, the minister explained that the PTA is mandated to block “unlawful content” under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. While the PTA also submits complaints and requests for removal and blocking of applications directly to hosting entities such as Apple and Google, it has deployed the WMS for “internet content management.”

The minister admitted that the PTA has been using the WMS to block applications and websites within Pakistan. “The PTA has till date blocked a total of 469 mobile applications (435 Android and 34 Apple) related to various categories including applications against the glory of Islam, indecent/immoral content, and fraudulent activities,” the response stated.

Social media site X (formerly known as Twitter) has been officially blocked in Pakistan since February 17, and the website of the opposition political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has remained inaccessible since before the elections.

It is worth noting that on August 15, Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Khawaja Fatima claimed that the WMS was necessary to “deal with cyber security attacks in the country.” However, the minister in charge of the cabinet division’s response to the National Assembly makes no mention of cyber security concerns when blocking content.

The controversial Web Monitoring System (known also as the Web Management System) was acquired by Pakistan in 2018 from the Canada-based company Sandvine for $18.5 million, according to a report by Coda.

In December 2023, the WMS was further upgraded and tested on landing stations for internet submarine cables SMW 3, 4, and 5, a PTA spokesperson had told Geo TV earlier this year. The PTA claims that this “upgrade” led to national internet outages and slowdowns prior to the elections.

The WMS employs Deep Packet Inspection technology to identify and block VPN traffic. It also enables government surveillance of all internet traffic coming to and from Pakistan, wrote journalist and digital rights activist Ramsha Jahangir in Dawn.

However, the minister in charge of the cabinet division admitted to the National Assembly that despite its attempt to block content at the gateway level the content could still be accessed in Pakistan through VPNs, adding that VPN users who “bypass the gateway through their private traffic are also bypassing the state policy regarding banned content.”

It should be noted that government officials, including ministers and the prime minister himself, have been using X (formerly Twitter) despite its official ban in Pakistan. It is unclear whether they are accessing the platform through VPNs.

“It is very difficult for PTA to effectively comply with PECA’s obligations without controlling VPN misuse,” the minister wrote in his written reply. The minister also revealed that the PTA had been working with the Ministry of Information Technology, the Pakistan Software Export Board, and P@SHA to “whitelist” IPs and VPNs in the country, having registered 20,437 VPNs to date.

Additionally, the PTA has launched an e-portal for government organizations to lodge complaints and request content removal or blocking. To date, 47 stakeholders, including federal and provincial ministries and law enforcement agencies, are using the e-portal.

Ramsha Jahangir told The News that the government and PTA’s disclosures to lawmakers clearly indicate that the Web Monitoring System is being used for whitelisting VPNs and blocking online content. “They [PTA] have also acknowledged placing blocks at the gateway level. The cybersecurity or cable fault cover doesn’t hold anymore,” she said.

Jahangir added that, given the precedent of internet filtering in Pakistan through the WMS, it is now even more crucial for authorities to be transparent about their plans. “Who purchased the WMS? Where did the funds come from?” she asked.