'False and misleading’: PTA dismisses claims of TikTok ban in Pakistan

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday dismissed reports circulating on social media about an alleged ban on popular video-sharing platform TikTok as “false and misleading”, clarifying that no such notification had been issued.

In a post on social media platform X, the authority said that a fake notification regarding an alleged ban on TikTok was being circulated on social media.

“PTA clarifies that no such notification has been issued, and the circulating information is false and misleading,” it said.

The authority advised the public not to share or rely on unverified information.

“Citizens should obtain authentic information only through PTA’s official website and verified social media platforms,” the statement said.

Tiktok has repeatedly been banned in the country by the PTA over complaints about indecent and immoral content. The first such ban came in October 2020, but was lifted 10 days later, after the company assured the telecom regulator that it would block accounts “spreading obscenity.”

In its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for April-June 2025, TikTok said it had removed 25,448,992 videos in Pakistan for violating its community guidelines during the quarter.

The platform said 99.7 per cent of the videos were removed proactively, with 96.2pc taken down within 24 hours of being posted.

In the preceding quarter, January-March 2025, TikTok had removed 24,954,128 videos in Pakistan.