Pakistan’s telecom regulator has decided not to impose a nationwide ban on virtual private networks (VPNs), 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Sunday.
According to details, the government opted against the ban after the Ministry of Law clarified that it does not have the legal authority under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to enforce such restrictions.
Earlier, the Ministry of Interior had requested the ban, citing concerns over the use of VPNs by terrorists and access to explicit content.
However, the Ministry of Law highlighted that PECA only permits blocking specific online content and does not allow a blanket ban on VPNs.
It is expected that the Ministry of Interior will withdraw its request.
The telecom regulator had previously asked businesses and freelancers to register their VPNs by November 30.
Following concerns over a potential ban, nearly 27,000 VPNs have been registered, including 7,000 new registrations.
Software houses had raised alarms about the potential negative impact on their operations.
Notably, VPN usage surged earlier this year after a temporary ban on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).