Pakistan reverses ban on TikTok after concessions
Update, October 19 (03:00 pm ET): The ban has been reversed after TikTok gave assurances to the government
What you need to know
- TikTok is now banned in Pakistan.
- The Pakistan Tekecommication Authority says that this is down to the nature of the "immoral" content found on TikTok.
- The app has also been banned in India and faces pressure in the U.S.
TikTok is another Chinese-affiliated tech name that's not having a very good year. The app has been banned from India, is facing off a ban in the U.S., and now it's been kicked out of Pakistan as well.
The Pakistani Telecommunication Authority issued the following statement on Twitter, announcing the ban:
At the time when the final warning was issued in March, the company had said that it was focused on creating a positive and safe environment (via Geo.tv), adding that it deployed "a combination of technologies, and moderation strategies to detect and review problematic content that violates our terms of use and comprehensive Community Guidelines, and implement appropriate penalties including removing videos and banning accounts." It also said that it had removed more than 4 million videos in violation of Pakistani rules between July 1 and December 31, 2019, at the time.
In a statement to Engadget, TikTok said:
Until that resolution is reached, the app will remain banned in Pakistan.
Update, October 19 (03:00 pm ET) — Pakistan unbans TikTok
The ban has been reversed after TikTok made some concessions to the Pakistani agency.
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Writing on Twitter, the PTA said:
Of course, the PTA notes that a permanent ban is not off the table if TikTok fails to hold up its end of the bargain. For now, TikTok is free to operate once more.