According to reports, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has made the decision to implement new guidelines governing the countrywide usage of virtual private networks, or VPNs.
At a meeting of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman declared that after the new policy is put into effect, only VPNs that have been approved would be permitted to operate in Pakistan.
This choice was made in response to a notable spike in the usage of VPNs in Pakistan in 2024, mostly for the purpose of getting on the restricted social media network X (previously Twitter).
Two days after X was prohibited in the nation, on February 19, demand for VPNs surged by 131%, according to a report by Top10VPN.
Furthermore, Pakistan had a 300–400% spike in new user acquisition rates, according to VPN service Surfshark.
