TikTok unbanned in Pakistan by SHC

The short video-sharing application TikTok has been unbanned in Pakistan on the directives of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday, three days after it ordered suspension of the app for ‘spreading immoral and obscene content’ in the country.

The court issued these directives after hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) seeking the removal of the ban placed on TikTok. Furthermore, the court also directed PTA to issue a ruling on the petitioner’s complaint by Monday (5 July 2021).

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) officials told the court that the proceedings on the complaint were underway and the regulator will make a decision on the case by the next hearing which is scheduled for Monday.

TikTok was banned in Pakistan by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on June 28 for spreading ‘immoral and obscene content’ and celebrating ‘LGBTQ-Pride Month’ after a citizen named Kamran Mujeeb filed a petition in the court against the app.

The management of TikTok has responded to the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) decision to ban the video-sharing app in Pakistan, saying that it is constantly working with authorities to review and take action against content which violates the Community Guidelines.

In a transparency report released on Wednesday, the company said that it has removed more than 6 million videos from the app in Pakistan during a three month period from January to March. “TikTok removed 6,495,992 videos making it the second market to get the most videos removed after the USA, where 8,540,088 videos were removed,” said the report.

TikTok also said that it was assuring the growth of its local-language moderation capacity, diligence to take action on content which violates Community Guidelines.

“We have grown our local-language moderation capacity for Pakistan, and work diligently to review and take action on content in violation of our community guidelines.” the statement added.

“We continue to work with regulators, and look forward to serving the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan who have found a home for creativity, fun and vital economic opportunities for many years to come,” said the statement.

Read more: TikTok responds to ban in Pakistan.

TikTok has been unbanned in Pakistan on the directives of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and further decisions will be taken at the next hearing, which is scheduled for 5 July 2021.

What are your thoughts regarding TikTok getting unbanned in Pakistan? Let us know in the comments below.

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram for updates.