PTA registers 20,000+ VPNs in new whitelisting operation

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has registered 20,437 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as part of its whitelisting operation, involving 1,422 companies.

Of these, 19,840 VPNs are registered with 1,286 VPN companies, and 180 VPNs are registered with 136 freelancer companies. Additionally, PTA has registered 417 VPNs that are affiliated with the Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA).

This registration initiative is a part of a larger effort to regulate VPN usage throughout the country.

PTA struggles with VPNs in blocking restricted content

As per the IT Ministry paper, the PTA is mandated under Clause 37(1) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to impose restrictions on illegal online content.

However, users can circumvent government restrictions by utilizing virtual private networks (VPNs), which encrypt traffic and route it through foreign servers, to access content that is restricted even with gateway-level geo-blocking.

Because VPN users can use private traffic to get around gateway controls and avoid the country’s rules on prohibited content, this activity presents a problem for the PTA.

The Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephonic Traffic (MRTT) Regulation 2010, clause 6 states, according to the IT Ministry, that the PTA has started registering VPNs since December 2010 in accordance with an order issued on December 2, 2010. The PTA has also been ordered by the courts to take all necessary steps to successfully prohibit illegal information.

Even with all of its drawbacks, reputable companies including software firms, contact centers, and foreign missions utilize virtual private networks (VPNs) extensively for secure private network management. The PTA has released public alerts regarding VPN registration in an effort to strike a balance between these demands and avoid abuse.

In order to oversee “One Window Operations” for call centers and independent contractors, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has been given IP whitelisting authority by the PTA, according to the Ministry of Information Technology (IT).