The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has recently initiated a crackdown on unregistered VPNs across the country, temporarily blocking these VPNs for users.
According to sources, the PTA is utilizing a firewall to block unregistered VPNs, which are then subject to a whitelisting process.
The PTA states that unregistered VPNs can pose serious security risks, potentially granting access to sensitive data and allowing access to illegal or objectionable content.
The authority has been regulating VPN use since 2010 and has registered over 20,500 VPNs across more than 1,422 companies for business and secure usage.
Countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey have similarly restricted unregistered VPNs, with some allowing them only for business purposes.
In Pakistan, there is no restriction on VPNs registered for business use, ensuring companies have secure access to online resources.
Many free VPN users in Pakistan have already reported issues, especially those relying on VPNs to access restricted platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
While the PTA has not yet commented directly on this restriction, it remains committed to regulating VPN use to ensure online security and prevent unauthorized access.