
The Wireless & Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) on Monday issued a statement reflecting on the virtual private networks (VPN) blockage melodrama underway for over a week in the country.
The WISPAP statement at its core focused on the usage of VPNs, highlighting that VPNs serve two purposes in this digitally-tied world.
The primary usage of VPNs is to ensure privacy, enable secure communication, and provide access to essential online resources for professionals, businesses, and individuals alike.
“While it undeniably holds the potential for misuse, its primary applications have been to ensure privacy, enable secure communication, and allow access to essential online resources for professionals, businesses, and individuals alike," read the statement.
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"Such tools are foundational to economic growth, innovation, and the preservation of digital freedoms, particularly in globalised economies where secure communication is paramount,” the statement added.
Is VPN ban legitimate?
Viewing the issue from a regulatory lens, the WISPAP emphasised drawing a line between the means and the ends, stating that any technological tool—be it a VPN or otherwise—is neutral in nature, and it is the intention of its usage by users that defines if it aligns with ethical and legal standards.
The association said regulatory measures should be taken to prevent and penalise harmful activities, but without affecting VPNs' legitimate use cases that are crucial for progress and data security.
WISPAP vocally and strongly advocated measures for the responsible use of all technologies in accordance with national and societal values.
It stressed recognising blanket restrictions around tools like VPNs, as they possess the potential of alienating those segments of society that rely on these tools for appropriate and accepted purposes, such as IT exports, financial transactions, and academic research.