TikTok unbanned in Pakistan

The short-video sharing application TikTok has been unbanned in Pakistan on the directives of the Peshawar High Court (PPHC), said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in a press release on Thursday.

Furthermore, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure that no immoral and vulgar content is uploaded on the social media platform.

PTA Director General Tariq Gandapur told the court that the regulator has taken up the issue with TikTok management and the platform has appointed a focal person for content policy to monitor and make sure such immoral content is not uploaded on the application.

“You should have a system in place to differentiate between good and bad content,” remarked PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid. Furthermore, he stated that PTA should take action against those responsible for uploading immoral content as such steps would discourage people from doing that.

“When people will learn that the PTA will take action against them, they will not upload such things,” the judge said during the hearing.

PTA Director told the court that the regulator had talked with the app’s management about blocking the accounts of everyone who uploads immoral content on the application. “This shouldn’t be a one-time thing. You should take further steps to stop objectionable content on TikTok,” the judge added.

Meanwhile, TikTok released a statement after it was unbanned in Pakistan saying that it was “pleased” to be once again available to users in the country. “This is a testament to TikTok’s continued commitment to enforcing our community guidelines to promote a safe and positive community online,” a spokesperson for the platform said.

“We want to acknowledge PTA’s support and ongoing productive dialogue, and recognize their care for the digital experience of Pakistani users, which goes a long way in assuring a stable, enabling environment to allow us to explore further investment in Pakistan, and to keep open vital economic opportunities for Pakistani creators through TikTok,” the statement concluded.