Increased number of blocks made on Facebook, TikTok; content contrary to “decency and morality” shows the highest proportion
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has informed the Lahore High Court that it has blocked over 1.4 million web links and URLs in its ongoing campaign against “illegal online content” amid growing concern over coordinated social media campaigns targeting state institutions, including the higher judiciary.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had on Thursday ordered the PTA to approach Facebook, Justice Ali Zia Bajwa had issued the directions while hearing a petition filed against an alleged defamation campaign against judges on social media.
The PTA had submitted a report to the court, according to which, more than one million links were reviewed and blocked on major social media platforms for containing “illegal online content”, with the largest number of blocks being carried out on Facebook and TikTok.
According to the report, the PTA reviewed 229,000 Facebook links and blocked about 197,000, or nearly 86%. TikTok faced the strictest enforcement action with over 174,000 links reviewed and over 163,000 blocked, representing a 94% block rate.
On Instagram, 38,000 of 43,000 URLs reviewed were blocked, for a block rate of 87%.
On YouTube, authorities reviewed 72,000 links and blocked more than 64,000. Meanwhile, over 112,000 links were examined on X, with 70,800 links blocked, recording the lowest blocking rate at 62%. On various other digital platforms, 891,000 of 898,000 links reviewed were blocked, reflecting a near-full enforcement of 99%.
The report said the blocked content covered a wide range of categories, including contempt of court, obscenity, hate speech, religious violations, performance services and material considered anti-state.
Content contrary to “decency and morality” accounted for the majority, with more than 1.06 million links blocked. Another 148,000 links to content deemed “against the security and defense of Pakistan” were removed. More than 109,000 links containing anti-religious material were also blocked, along with more than 76,000 links related to sectarian and hate content.
The lowest blocking rate was recorded for content involving defamation and false identities, at 56.7%, according to the report.
