Over 28.9m obscene TikTok videos blocked: PTA

PESHAWAR: More than 28.9 million obscene TikTok videos have been removed while over 1.465 million accounts were blocked for sharing such content, local media reported.

The details emerged in a written verdict issued by the Peshawar High Court where Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) shared data on action against obscene videos on the short video application.

The PHC in its written order stated that the youngsters are getting affected by obscene content on TikTok and it has been brought to their knowledge that action is being taken against such material on the social media platform.

The order highlighted that those sharing the content have avoided action against them and are involved in re-sharing such content over lack of accountability of their acts.

The court directed PTA to devise a mechanism so that those involved in sharing obscene content should be blocked from the application.

The PHC bench also lauded the measures adopted by the PTA to block the obscene content and directed to continue it in a further organised manner.

On March 12, 2021, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) ordered a ban on the short video sharing entertainment app.

The court directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block the app “until and unless some mechanism is devised to filter the material which is immoral and indecent and goes against our norms and ethics.”

On June 22, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told PHC that the authority has removed 9.8 million videos on TikTok having immoral content besides also blocking 720,000 accounts uploading such content.

Sharing the details with the Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench headed by Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan in a case pertaining to the removal of immoral content from TikTok, the director [technical] of the authority said that after their actions, the TikTok has appointed a focal person for Pakistan for the first time.