Pakistan Bans TikTok on Account of ‘Immoral’ and ‘Indecent’ Content

Pakistan bans TikTok on account of ‘immoral’ and ‘indecent’ content 

On Friday, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced that TikTok, the viral video sharing app, has been banned across the country owing to the immoral and indecent content that is shared through the app. 

On the word of a press release, PTA gave the app a final notice in consideration of the complaints that came pouring in and the type of the content that was being posted on the app consistently. 

TikTok had been given time to respond to the complaints and act as per the instructions to moderate the inappropriate content effectively which the application did not comply with fully and consequently it was decided upon to block the app altogether, said PTA. 

However, the authority has said that there is room for discussion and if the video-sharing application employs a satisfactory mechanism to moderate the illicit material, it will be ready to review its decision. 

Whereas, while responding to the ban moments later, TikTok said that it follows the law wherever the app is run. 

A statement released by the company said that they have been communicating with the authority on a regular basis and are optimistic to soon be able to find a conclusion so that they can continue providing their services to the creative and talented online community of the country. 

The statement said that the application’s top-most priority is to ensure a positive and safe environment for its users. 

There are strong measures that help maintain a safe environment for the users which includes the ‘reporting option’ for content that falls under the category of being offensive and is against the terms of use of the app and its comprehensive community guidelines. The service is available in Urdu as well, added the statement. 

After receiving a great number of complaints against the vulgar, immoral, and obscene content that was being uploaded on the entertainment app, PTA announced on July 20 that it had issued a final warning to TikTok. 

The regulatory authority said there was a major proportion of complaints that stressed on the exceptionally negative effects of the app on the society as a whole and the younger generation, in particular. 

Recently, the Information Minister ShibliFaraz has said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan keeps the opinion about entertainment apps like TikTok to be harming the society’s value on a larger scale and deems it important that they get canceled. 

Shibli Faraz said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was worried about the increasing vulgarity in the society in which mainstream media and certain social media applications have a big role, and instructed the authorities germane to the trends to stop them immediately before the country’s religious and social values are destroyed.