Interior ministry wants ban on illegal VPNs over 'exploitation by terrorists'

ISLAMABAD: In a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Ministry of Interior has demanded a complete ban on illegal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country as these platforms are being used by terrorists to facilitate "violent activities and financial transactions".

"VPNs are increasingly being exploited by the terrorists," stated the ministry's letter, a copy of which obtained by Geo News, "[…] to facilitate violent activities and financial transactions in Pakistan."

"Off late, an alarming fact has been identified, wherein VPNs are used by terrorists to obscure and conceal their communications."

Additionally, the unregulated VPNs were also being used for discreetly accessing pornographic and blasphemous content, it added.

VPNs are commonly used worldwide to bypass restricted content.

In Pakistan, the use of VPNs witnessed a spike after authorities banned social media site X (formerly Twitter) earlier this year over "national security" concerns.

However, when it comes to its misuse, Pakistanis are making up to 20 million daily attempts to access blocked explicit content via unregistered virtual private networks, despite government restrictions.

Pointing to another issue related to public morality, the ministry stated that "Pakistan is considered one of the countries where porn sites are frequently visited by using VPNs, however, these trends warrant the prohibition of unauthorised virtual private networks to address the critical threats".

In its formal request to ban these illegitimate platforms, the PTA was requested to "block illegal VPNs across Pakistan so that registered VPN users may not be affected".

"In addition, registration of VPNs with PTA may also be made till November 30, 2024," it asserted.

This development came after the top telecom regulator intensified efforts to regulate VPNs for legitimate users and introduced a streamlined process for registering these platforms two days ago.

Aiming to foster a secure environment for the IT and e-commerce sectors in the country, the VPN registration framework was discussed in a consultative session earlier this week which was attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and Pakistan IT Association (P@SHA), according to the PTA.

"PTA introduced a streamlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online platform at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk," said the statement issued by the PTA.

It said that the simplified framework "supports uninterrupted access for IT companies, freelancers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing PTA's commitment to Pakistan's expanding digital economy".

The telecommunication authorities had initiated the VPN registration process back in 2010. To date, approximately 20,500 VPNs have been successfully registered, with over 1,422 companies having completed the registration process.