ISLAMABAD:

Social media platforms have blocked more than 1.54 million URLs in Pakistan following requests from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), according to official documents, as authorities continue to tighten controls over content deemed unlawful or harmful.

The documents show that a total of 1,542,800 URLs across multiple categories have been blocked, while 76,874 URLs remain under review and another 106,629 requests have been rejected.

The largest category involved content classified as obscene or immoral, with social media platforms blocking 1,065,671 URLs following PTA requests. A further 563 URLs were under review, while 9,528 requests were rejected.

Authorities also sought action against content related to terrorism, forwarding 179,285 URLs to platforms for blocking. Of these, 141,897 URLs were blocked, while 23,241 remained under review.

According to the documents, authorities also processed 136,891 URLs under the category relating to content against the sanctity of Islam.

In another major category, 125,427 URLs concerning content deemed against Pakistan’s security and defence were processed, with 74,059 URLs blocked.

The PTA’s data further showed that 76,526 URLs were processed under the category of sectarian and hate speech.

The crackdown also extended to proxy-related content. Of 10,319 URLs processed in the proxy category, 10,318 were blocked, leaving just one request unresolved.

Under the category of defamation and impersonation, authorities processed 44,200 URLs, of which 17,356 were blocked.

The figures highlight the scale of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to regulate online content, with millions of requests being sent to social media platforms for action across a wide range of categories.

The data also shows that a significant number of cases remain under examination, while rejected requests indicate that platforms do not approve every request submitted by Pakistani authorities.

The latest figures come amid continued debate over online regulation in Pakistan, with authorities seeking to balance enforcement against unlawful content with the growing role of social media in public communication and digital commerce.