PTA approves whitelisting of 20,437 VPNs in new regulatory move
PTA has implemented a VPN registration process through public notices.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has reportedly whitelisted 20,437 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), spanning more than 1,422 companies.
Of these, 19,840 VPNs are associated with 1,286 VPN companies, while 180 VPNs have been registered by 136 freelancer companies.
The PTA has also registered 417 VPNs associated with the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA). This registration initiative is part of the PTA’s broader efforts to regulate VPN usage nationwide.
Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, the PTA is mandated to block unlawful online content. However, despite implementing content blocking at the gateway level, users can still access restricted content through VPNs, which encrypt traffic and reroute it through foreign servers, bypassing state-imposed restrictions.
The PTA has been registering VPNs since December 2010, following a directive issued on December 2, 2010, under clause 6 of the Monitoring and Reconciliation of Telephonic Traffic (MRTT) Regulation 2010. Additionally, the courts have instructed the PTA to take all necessary measures to effectively block unlawful content.
Although VPNs present challenges for the PTA in blocking illegal content, they are extensively utilized by legitimate businesses such as software companies, call centres, and foreign missions for secure network management. To address these needs while preventing abuse, the PTA has implemented a VPN registration process through public notices.
The Ministry of Information Technology has announced that the PTA has transferred IP whitelisting responsibilities to the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB). This change supports “One Window Operations” for call centres and freelancers, enabling the PTA to streamline VPN registration for businesses and independent professionals.
This process involves collaboration with key stakeholders including the Ministry of IT, PSEB, and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).
