KARACHI: A TikToker approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday challenging the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) October 9 decision of placing a ban on the popular short video-sharing Chinese app, TikTok.
The ban comes in view of “complaints from different segments of the society against immoral and indecent content on the video sharing application,” said the PTA.
The PTA said it would review its ban, subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content. TikTok said it was “committed to following the law in markets where the app is offered.
“We have been in regular communication with the PTA and continue to work with them. We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us continue to serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community,” it said.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has become hugely popular in a short period of time, by encouraging young users to post brief videos. Its quick rise has caught it in a firestorm, with a number of countries raising security and privacy concerns over its links to China.
The authority, in a statement, cited “complaints from different segments of the society against immoral/indecent content on the video-sharing application” as the reason behind the move and added that it has issued instructions for blocking of the application.
Both TikTok and PTA expressed the resolve to continue negotiations to reach a solution acceptable to both.
“The provision of a safe internet experience will be guaranteed for users in Pakistan,” said the PTA chairman.
