Tag: Ban on youtube in Pakistan

Cyber Watch

YouTube Ban Finally Officially Removed In Pakistan

From couple of months it seem so, that every ISP had deliberately made the https version of YouTube available to the masses. However, there was an official ban on the website. Also during that period PTA’s (Pakistan Telecommunications Authority) policy also looked lenient towards the ISPs which were allowing some traffic to YouTube. So that meant government is cooking something and something is going to be decided between the video sharing giant and government of Pakistan. Finally, just not more than couple of days ago YouTube.com launched its local .pk version in Pakistan. Which later cooperated government of Pakistan and block an objectionable video against Islam on government’s request. Following that PTA requested Supreme Court of Pakistan to order removal […]

Cyber Watch

YouTube to officially Open in Pakistan Very Soon

YouTube have now been banned for more than three and half years officially in Pakistan. However, from last couple of months it is accessible via https on all ISPs and PTCL was first to make it available on http as well. An important development happened this month when YouTube.com launched a localized version for Pakistan. Now the news is that PTA (Pakistan Telecommunications Authority) have appealed Supreme Court to remove ban on YouTube in Pakistan. According to PTA, after the launch of local version of YouTube in Pakistan, it is possible for authorities to request Google and get blocked any video which is not suitable for local users. Or any video which can cause chaos in the country. So on […]

Internet censorship

When is youtube opening in Pakistan?

Few days ago the Pakistan’s Minister for IT and Telecom (Anusha Rehman) had hinted opening of youtube in matter of just very few days. It was told that filter is ready and already have been tested. Story further claimed that this filter is worth millions, is acquired by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and this filter will be able to block 4000 URLs only. I had objected that filter worth millions, so why its only capable of filtering only 4000 URLs but still many people were happy with this as at least the biggest video sharing website was going to open for Pakistanis. We also had suspected that like other wondering stories this is also temporary measure from Anusha Rehman […]

Internet censorship

Unbanning of youtube in Pakistan is still pending, Anusha Rehman busy in getting some free publicity

Few days ago we did a post about why and how ban on Youtube is only hurting Pakistanis. Soon after I finished as I was wandering on different Facebook pages, I cam across a story about unbanning youtube in Pakistan. Out of querulousness I done some research on that and whole Internet, I mean most of Pakistan sites and blogs were full of the same story. It was telling that Anusha Rehman, who is Federal Minister of IT and Telecom have hinted that youtube will open very soon in Pakistan. Story also included the content like Pakistan already have a URL filtering system ready, which will operate via PTCL and is developed million of Dollars. Not only this, the circulating […]

Inside Story

How blanket ban on Youtube is only hurting us Pakistanis

First things first, ban on Youtube.com is not effective at all. Almost every internet user from Pakistan knows how to bypass the ban or restriction put by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) or the Internet Service Provider (ISP) on youtube. People here in Pakistan are bypassing the ban using Proxy Server and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Even the search trends about Pakistanis on Youtube have not changed from what they were in 2012. So, if government is really serious about blocking the blasphemous content on youtube, they must resort to methods like url filtering instead of blocking the whole website. When people from Pakistan open youtube from a proxy server or a VPN it not only opens the whole website up […]