Has Pakistan started crackdown on?
In what appears to be the beginning of the implementation of VPN restrictive legislation in Pakistan, many residents have reported problems accessing their VPN services. On Sunday, November 9, 2024, people in Pakistan complained about problems using top VPN apps. After the initial silence, authorities later confirmed to local publications that this wave of restrictions was due to a “short technical problem” – VPNs were back up and running as usual by the end of the day – reiterating the need for VPN providers to register their services in the country to avoid further disruption.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced plans in August to regulate the use of VPNs. The new legislation would aim to curb VPN abuse and security risks. Authorities considered unregistered VPNs a ‘security risk’ for Pakistan as they could be used to access ‘sensitive data’.
Proton VPN has since confirmed to TechRadar a spike in usage of more than 350% above normal traffic following the reported VPN outages and connectivity issues (see chart above).
Virtual Private Network (VPN) services have become a crucial resource for daily activities for many Pakistanis in 2024 thanks to their IP spoofing capabilities that give them access to otherwise geo-restricted content.
The authorities have maintained strict control over the Internet throughout the year. Most notably, people in Pakistan have been unable to access X (formerly known as Twitter) without a VPN since February, with VPN use often a target. Experts also believe that such an increase in censorship is the main cause of the decline of the Internet in the country.
Are VPNs Illegal in Pakistan?
Although Pakistan regulates the use of VPNs, these services are not illegal or completely banned.
As Dawn reportedVPN use in Pakistan is allowed for legitimate purposes in various sectors such as banking, foreign missions, corporations, universities, IT companies, call centers and freelance professionals.
The authorities urge companies operating in the above sectors to complete VPN registration with PTA as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in further service disruptions in the future. At the time of writing, according to authorities, more than 20,000 VPN IP addresses have been registered in Pakistan since 2020.
Although the VPNs affected by the Sunday restriction returned to normal work at the end of the day, there is a bitter irony in considering that this ‘technical problem’ occurred just a few days after the Pakistani Prime Minister shared a post on X – a platform that has disrupted access to the country since February – to congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump.
If you live in Pakistan, or plan to visit the country soon, I recommend checking out our best free VPN page to download as many of the safest freebies around. Having more than one VPN app can be helpful in these cases, as you can switch between services in case one is blocked.
Tor browser is another valid alternative. Tor is completely free to use and is said to be even more secure than VPNs because it encrypts your connection in at least three layers of protection. Please note that this extra encryption may slow down your performance slightly.
