n 2025, Pakistan has over 100 million active social media users. YouTube leads with more than 71 million, Facebook follows with 60 million, TikTok with nearly 67 million and Instagram with 18.8 million. These platforms flourish on local content and engagement ranging from food, lifestyle, technology, travel and religion. Surprisingly and unfortunately, the content creators for these platforms mostly remain excluded from deserved monetisation.

Pakistani content creators consistently produce high-quality content, but most earn little to nothing. In March 2025, Meta restricted monetisation by requiring payout accounts and tax details from select countries, cutting off access for many Pakistani creators. Features like in-stream ads, subscriptions and stars were disabled overnight. Despite generating massive engagement and ad revenue from Pakistan, these platforms give local creators insufficient payback.

TikTok offers structured monetisation programmes in the US, UK and several other parts of the world through tools like the Creator Fund, ad revenue sharing and brand collaboration hubs. In Pakistan, those tools don’t exist.

YouTube offers monetisation in Pakistan, but the path is quite narrow. The ad revenue is relatively low due to Pakistan’s lower CPMs. Some creators report that revenue per thousand views can be as low as a few pennies. Channel memberships and Super Thanks features, common in other markets, are either restricted or underperforming here. The YouTube algorithm adds another layer of frustration, with many creators feeling that it is unpredictable and unrewarding for local content styles.

The platforms argue that certain tools depend on policy, payment infrastructure and local laws. If a policy is needed, then why is it not in place? How long will it take? These questions should be answered by the platform authorities. Probably they have other priorities. They might never know that this side too has great potential.

Meanwhile, creators are putting in consistent work, investing in equipment, editing tools and strategy, only to find that their efforts are benefiting the platforms but not themselves. Some have found workarounds: setting up foreign bank accounts, using VPNs to create US-based profiles or collaborating with overseas managers. These are clever fixes, but they are not solutions.

In March 2025, Meta restricted monetisation by requiring payout accounts and tax details from select countries, cutting off access for many Pakistani creators. Features like in-stream ads, subscriptions and stars were disabled overnight.

There is no proper advocacy at the government level or from any regulatory authority to discuss these issues that can force these platforms to change the monetisation policy for Pakistani content creators and actually implement it. Only governments can talk to these tech giants and be taken seriously. The silence of tech policy makers in this regard is also a noticeable. The governments should work on a fair policy and make the social media platforms to bring transparent monetisation to Pakistan. This may help the content creators to make significant revenue and be a more functional part of the economy.

If the government wants to tax content creators, it should do so by all means. However, it should also provide them with an ecosystem in which they can have legal revenue.

These platforms should not be allowed to treat Pakistani content creators as freebies. They should acknowledge their legitimate rights. However, I believe that the biggest responsibility in this regard lies with the government; it must define and protect their rights.

The writers and influencers in the tech sector, too, have a responsibility. A proper advocacy campaign is needed to highlight the issue at all levels and awaken those in power.

A united voice, perhaps raised through unions or associations, could help the content creators lobby for inclusion. Public pressure and media coverage can help too. The private sector and civil society, especially those connected to the tech and media industries, can help build a case for creator compensation. It is clear that the content is not going anywhere. The opportunity to earn must catch up with the effort that is being made.

Fair monetisation is not a bonus. It’s a right. If social media platforms truly value the global creator economy, they cannot continue to ignore the millions in Pakistan who are contributing to it every day.

The writer is a Marcom professional, digital entrepreneur and content strategist