Not so long ago, Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) took an initiative where over 400,000 websites with objectionable or explicit content were blocked in Pakistan. Now, reports are suggesting that the PTA is planning on expanding the initiative for mobile phone users as well.
PTA reportedly received multiple complaints from the general public stating that explicit websites were still accessible through mobile internet — on 3G and 4G networks — which poses an even greater threat to minors who can accidentally access such stuff through their parents’ smartphones.
“Whether you access internet through a personal computer or mobile phone the law is same; objectionable sites are banned in country” said an official.
Sources tell us that there was a list of blocked website, which is regularly implemented by ISPs, however, mobile phone operators are at times not very strict on this.
Telecom industry representatives denied the allegation, claiming they do not provide access to objectionable content in order to increase profits.
However, they have said that blocking too much content or putting a lot of restrictions results in slow internet and browsing speeds. This affects the website loading speeds on mobile devices which decreases the overall user experience.
Officials say that establishment of Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Pakistan will help the regulator centralize the content blocking exercise in order to keep national internet usage local.
For now PTA may ask mobile operators again to block all objectionable and explicit sites which have been legally forbidden in the country by a Supreme Court order. This includes the list of 400,000 that PTA had asked ISPs to put on a ban list.
Via The Nation