Pakistan bans TikTok app for 'indecency'

Agencies | Islamabad

Pakistan blocked social media App TikTok for failing to filter out “immoral” content, the country's telecommunication authority said in a statement.

Pakistan had asked to remove immoral content from the platform several times before to which the Chinese social media couldn’t respond effectively.   

“The platform, however, hasn’t been able to fully satisfy Pakistani authorities. A Pakistani official said.

In July, Pakistan’s telecommunications regulator issued a “final warning” to the short-form video app over explicit content posted on the platform.

TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has been caught in a firestorm globally due to security and privacy concerns. It has already been blocked in India and it faces scrutiny in countries from Australia to the United States.

TikTok said it has “robust protections in place” and hopes to return to Pakistan. “TikTok is an inclusive platform built upon the foundation of creative expression, and we are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement sent to The Verge.

The decision was taken after Prime Minister Imran Khan took a keen interest in the issue, said a second official in Pakistan, adding that Khan has directed the telecom authorities to make all efforts to block vulgar content in the conservative Islamic republic.