The Pakistan government has initiated a trial to block unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), according to a report released on Monday.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has temporarily blocked unregistered VPNs as part of a process for white-listing them. PTA officials have expressed concerns about the security risks posed by unregistered VPNs, as they could potentially be used to access sensitive information.
The PTA has called on businesses—including IT firms, software houses, freelancers, and financial institutions—to register their IP addresses to maintain VPN access and ensure uninterrupted internet services for authorized users. Businesses will need to provide details about their VPN usage and specify their activities when registering.
The PTA has been managing VPN registration since 2010, with approximately 20,500 VPNs registered to date. VPNs are commonly used worldwide to bypass content restrictions, and in Pakistan, they have been frequently used to access platforms like X (formerly Twitter), which has been banned in the country for several months.
The Pakistani government has stated that it will not lift the ban on X unless the platform officially registers in the country.
To facilitate business operations, the PTA has previously introduced a one-window operation for the registration of IPs and VPNs to ensure smooth operations for businesses, including software houses, call centers, freelancers, and foreign missions.
