The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has dismissed as fake and misleading a notification circulating on social media that claimed the government had decided to ban the video-sharing platform TikTok in Pakistan. In a statement issued on Thursday, the telecom regulator said it had issued no such notice and urged the public not to share or rely on unverified material found online.
The authority described the circulating information as “false and misleading” and said citizens should obtain authentic updates only through its official website and verified social media accounts. The purported document bore the regulator’s name and claimed that access to TikTok would be blocked across the country.
Reasons cited in the fake document
According to the PTA, the document allegedly cited national security, public order and the protection of children and young people as grounds for the proposed block. It also claimed that internet service providers had been directed to restrict access to the platform. The regulator rejected these claims and said no such decision had been announced.
What TikTok is and where it is based
TikTok is a global short-form video and entertainment platform that lets users create, edit, watch and share clips, usually paired with music, sound effects and other digital tools. The app was launched internationally in 2017 by the Chinese technology company ByteDance and has become one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world.
Its best-known feature is the “For You” feed, which suggests videos based on what users watch, like, share and comment on. The service also offers live streaming, direct messaging, duets, stitching, photo posts and interactive effects. Creators may earn money through monetisation programmes and virtual gifts, subject to eligibility and regional availability.
According to the company’s official website, TikTok’s global headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, and Singapore. The platform is owned by ByteDance, a technology firm founded in China in 2012, which also runs Douyin, a separate short-video app for mainland China. TikTok also has offices in cities including New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo.
Earlier suspensions and restorations in Pakistan
The latest clarification comes after a series of regulatory and court actions involving TikTok in Pakistan. The PTA first blocked the app in October 2020 over content it described as immoral and indecent. The ban was lifted 10 days later, after the company assured the authority it would block accounts sharing objectionable material.
- March 2021: the Peshawar High Court ordered a suspension over allegedly inappropriate content, which was lifted in April.
- June 2021: the Sindh High Court directed the PTA to suspend access over complaints about immoral and obscene content, and the suspension was withdrawn three days later.
- July 20, 2021: the PTA blocked the app again, citing the platform’s failure to remove inappropriate content.
- November 19, 2021: the PTA restored access after the company’s management promised stronger content moderation and blocks on users who repeatedly uploaded unlawful material.
After the July 2021 block, the Islamabad High Court questioned the regulator’s authority to impose a blanket ban on the application and sought a response from the relevant government authorities. TikTok, meanwhile, told the regulator it would take steps to prevent the uploading and spread of unlawful content.
Removal figures and other platforms registered
Content moderation has remained a central issue in the PTA’s dealings with TikTok, particularly over material considered unlawful or inappropriate under Pakistani law. TikTok’s Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for April to June 2025 states that the platform removed 25,448,992 videos from Pakistan in that three-month period for breaching its guidelines. The company said 99.7 per cent of those videos were taken down proactively and 96.2 per cent within 24 hours of upload.
In the previous quarter, January to March 2025, TikTok reported removing 24,954,128 videos from Pakistan for similar violations. These figures were published by the platform itself and were not a separate assessment by Pakistani authorities. The PTA said it continues to engage with international social media companies to address complaints about unlawful online content and to ensure compliance with local laws.
Separately, the PTA has formally registered two other popular platforms, BIGO LIVE and Likee, in Pakistan under Bigo Service Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd. The registration brings their operations under the country’s regulatory framework for online content.
