On 19th November, the social media app bluesky was temporarily banned in Pakistan. Users reported that they were unable to access it without a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Bluesky offered similar features as X, allowing users to have access to another platform without having to use a VPN. There has been a worldwide shift from X, and an increase in bluesky users, after the nomination of Elon Musk, the owner of X, in the cabinet of the US president-elect, Donald Trump.  Many Pakistanis have recently signed up to bluesky. 

The recent suspension of the platform came a week after authorities decided to ban all unregistered VPN’s, which had also gained considerable popularity in recent months after the PTA banned X on the 17th of February, following the general elections.