Notices to PTA, Pemra, law ministry on plea to ban TikTok

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought replies from federal ministry of law, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on a petition seeking a ban on TikTok, an android social media video application, in Pakistan for being a source of vulgarity, pornography.

Advocate Nadeem Sarwar, in his arguments, stated that the application had been causing negative social impacts, wastage of time, energy and money and nudity, source of harassment and blackmailing. He said the same application had been banned in Bangladesh and Malaysia for its pornography and inappropriate content and its use for mocking people.

He argued that the use of the TikTok application was also against social and moral well-being of the citizens of Pakistan and the Constitution imposed a heavy duty upon state to secure well-being of its citizens.

The lawyer contended that a lot of tragic incidents of blackmailing had already been occurred where people recorded videos secretly and mad them viral on TikTok. He asked the court to direct the respondents to impose a complete ban on TikTok in Pakistan for degrading culture, encouraging pornography besides causing internet paedophilia and social stigma.

He further sought a direction for the law ministry to initiate measures for a legislation aimed at protecting online privacy of children. He said the Pemra should also be ordered to ensure that videos made on TikTok were not broadcast on television channels. After hearing the arguments, Justice Shahid Mobeen issued notices to the respondents for submission of their replies by August 25.