Tech Desk 
Nov 24, 2024
A week following the completion of the first trial of banning unregistered virtual private networks (VPNs) in the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has kicked off the second clampdown on "illegal VPNs".
Citing sources, ProPakistani reported that the second trial of blocking unregistered VPNs will last two days.
Prior to initiating the first trial of VPN blocking, the telecom regulator had set a November 30 deadline for VPN registration, following which it will begin blocking unregistered VPNs. Over 25,000 VPNs, according to the publication, have been registered with the PTA.
The reason behind the whole exercise is to expedite the VPN registration and whitelisting process, with which the authority seems to be following suit with China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and many other countries that have blocked unregistered VPNs.
A few Middle Eastern nations including the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are also counted among those against unregistered VPNs, meanwhile, some countries allow VPN usage exclusively for business purposes.
It should be noted that registration of VPNs only for businesses and freelancers has concerned the general public, lamenting that the new VPN policy in the country is leaving ordinary netizens in the cold, as free VPN services in the country have been made unfunctional.
