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| Pakistan prohibits Tik Tok due to obscene content |
After the Peshawar Supreme Court has ruled that the short video platform has been banned in the country, users of Pakistan's TikTok platform will not be able to access the app.
Based on this information, the court decided to decide on the request during the session.
App Annie estimates that TikTok had around 33 million users in Pakistan last month (100 million users in total).
Upon receiving the court order, the PTA posted a statement on Twitter confirming that it had instructed the service provider to block access to the app immediately.
Supreme Court Judge Kaiser Rashid Khan said: The TikTok videos promote social vulgarity, and the platform contains unethical and unacceptable content.
After informing the court that they contacted the company to remove inappropriate content in vain before TikTok worked with the authorities, the PTA also ruled that the app should remain blocked.
A spokesperson defended the platform and its regulatory practices: Tik Tok relies on creative expression and has taken decisive measures to banish inappropriate content.
He added: We have set up a national language review team in Pakistan and we have a mechanism for reporting and removing content that violates community rules. We hope to continue serving the millions of TikTok users and innovators in Pakistan. The house of creativity and fun.
According to reports, this isn't the first time that the country has banned the app. The country recently passed a digital law that gives regulators the power to monitor content.
As noted by the Financial Times, the new law requires companies to remove unwanted content, including content that threatens Pakistan's safety, security and defense.
After authorities decided to host unethical and inappropriate videos, the TikTok platform was initially banned before the new law came into effect.
However, days later, TikTok promised to change this ban in line with Pakistani social standards and laws, and PTA lifted the ban.