PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday lifted the weeks-long ban on TikTok and directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure “immoral content” is not uploaded to the popular video-sharing application.
The telecommunication regulator had blocked access to the application last month after a PHC order on private complaint claiming the social media application was spreading indecent content.
During the proceedings on Thursday, PTA chief Tariq Gandapur informed PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid the regulator took up the issue with the company. Following which, he said, the platform had also hired a focal person for content policy who will monitor all objectionable and illegal content uploaded to the platform.
Gandapur further said PTA had also talked to the TikTok management regarding permanently blocking accounts that continually upload such content.
“When people realise the PTA will take action against them they will no longer upload such videos,” Justice Rashid said.
“We want to acknowledge Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s support and ongoing productive dialogue, and recognize their care for the digital experience of Pakistani users,” TikTok said in a statement issued on Thursday after the court ordered the ban be lifted.
Reacting to the ruling, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry cautioned the judiciary against “taking decisions that may affect the economic future of Pakistan”.
Pesh HC has suspended the operation of single bench judgement,ban on @TikTok_Paki has been lifted,my submission is lets be very careful while taking decisions that may effect Economic future of Pak,we need a framework to encourage int companies so to make Pak their investment hub
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 1, 2021
“We need a framework to encourage international companies to make Pakistan their investment hub,” he said in a tweet.
PTA had banned the app in October, but restored it within 10 days after the company vowed to block all accounts involved in spreading “obscenity and immorality.”
The regulator said the social media company had agreed to moderate accounts in accordance with the country’s regulations.
At the time, a TikTok representative in Pakistan said strong safeguards were in place to keep inappropriate content off the platform.
“In Pakistan, we have grown our local-language moderation team, and have mechanisms to report and remove [the] content in violation of our community guidelines,” the representative said in a statement.
“We look forward to continuing to serve the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan who have found a home for creativity and fun.”
TikTok has been one of the most-downloaded apps in the country behind WhatsApp and Facebook.
