While by no means a blanket ban given the vast amount of sites containing explicit content online, an official in a local ISP has confirmed that the PTA has provided a list of 1,000 most frequented porn sites in Pakistan that are to be blocked.
“They are adding to the list on a daily basis” confirmed the source.
The Express Tribune has received a list of over 170,000 websites the PTA purportedly may ban in Pakistan, however, an official from a local ISP provider states that such a blanket ban is unlikely.
“Blocking 170,000 sites is not feasible for any operator. The screening time on a per request basis will essentially slow the internet down to make it unusable.”
Websites currently blocked by ISPs redirect users to a page with a message that reads: “This page is blocked due to restrictions enforced by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).”
Earlier this year, a hacker had managed to bypass security on theSupreme Court’s website, posting a message that called on the PTA to ban pornographic websites or face further online attacks. A similar attack was carried out on the PTA’s own website.
“They are adding to the list on a daily basis” confirmed the source.
The Express Tribune has received a list of over 170,000 websites the PTA purportedly may ban in Pakistan, however, an official from a local ISP provider states that such a blanket ban is unlikely.
“Blocking 170,000 sites is not feasible for any operator. The screening time on a per request basis will essentially slow the internet down to make it unusable.”
Websites currently blocked by ISPs redirect users to a page with a message that reads: “This page is blocked due to restrictions enforced by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).”
Earlier this year, a hacker had managed to bypass security on theSupreme Court’s website, posting a message that called on the PTA to ban pornographic websites or face further online attacks. A similar attack was carried out on the PTA’s own website.
