The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved 20,437 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for use, covering more than 1,422 companies.
Out of these, 19,840 VPNs are associated with 1,286 VPN companies, while 180 VPNs have been registered by 136 freelancer companies.
Additionally, 417 VPNs have been registered through the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA). This initiative is part of the PTA’s broader effort to regulate VPN usage in the country.
Moreover, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, the PTA is required to block illegal online content. Despite efforts to block such content at the network level, VPNs can bypass these restrictions by encrypting data and routing it through foreign servers.
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The PTA began registering VPNs in December 2010 under the Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephonic Traffic (MRTT) Regulation 2010. Courts have also instructed the PTA to take all necessary steps to block unlawful content effectively.
While VPNs present challenges for the PTA in controlling illegal content, they are essential for legitimate businesses like software companies, call centers, and foreign missions, which use them for secure communications.
In addition, to balance the need for security with the prevention of misuse, the PTA has issued public notices encouraging VPN registration.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Information Technology has announced that the PTA has transferred IP whitelisting control to the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) to streamline operations for call centers and freelancers.
