Hashtag: #VPN

Contrary to reports circulating at the end of 2024, the PTA has reported that two VPN
service providers have applied for VPN licenses in Pakistan, as part of the government’s
“localised” VPN scheme, with their applications under review. The PTA was unable to ban
unregistered VPNs after the Ministry of Law issued a legal opinion stating that the PECA’s
articles on social media did not cover “tools” used to access said platforms, and introduced
localised VPN registration as a means of bypassing this issue. Promoted as a means of
striking a “balance” between cybersecurity and privacy, rights organisations and citizens
have relayed concerns that “localised” VPNs, with user data stored in Pakistan, runs the
risk of giving PTA and the government more powers to monitor users, negating the basis
for VPN usage in the first place, particularly if sensitive information is being shared.