The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) plans to introduce a new policy to regulate the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced that once the policy is in place, only approved VPNs will be allowed to operate in Pakistan.
This decision follows a significant increase in VPN usage in 2024, driven mainly by the need to access the blocked social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. According to a report by Top10VPN, VPN demand spiked by 131% on February 19, just two days after X was blocked. VPN provider Surfshark also noted a 300-400% rise in new user registrations in Pakistan post-ban.
Rehman highlighted that the number of X users in Pakistan has dropped by 70% since the ban, with only 30% still accessing the platform via VPNs. Despite this, the high usage of VPNs to bypass the ban raises concerns about its effectiveness.
Rehman also pointed out that a complete ban on VPNs could negatively impact several IT businesses that rely on them. It is important to note that this is not the first attempt to regulate VPNs in Pakistan. Previous efforts, such as the 2010 regulation and a 2022 registration drive, have seen limited success.
 plans to introduce a new policy to regulate the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) across the country. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced that once the policy is in place, only approved VPNs will be allowed to operate in Pakistan.){kind=link}