Summary The internet companies have already blocked 200,000 links.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to launch operation ‘clean-up’ against websites having ‘vulgar and objectionable content’ in the country, Dunya News reported.
The move follows a Supreme Court order this month to ban online material considered blasphemous or objectionable in Pakistan.
PTA has submitted a detailed report in the Supreme Court of Pakistan today (Thursday), stating that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) have been directed to block more than 400,000 websites having pornographic content.
The internet companies have already blocked 200,000 links while the PTA has blocked 84,000 websites over objectionable content.
The report further states that it is not possible to block all such platforms as new websites are created with every day passing.
Blocking websites at massive scale also affects the internet speed, the PTA stated.
The apex court was also informed that steps are being taken along with all stakeholders to improve the procedure to counter these websites.
Major pornography website are already barred in Pakistan, though hundreds of thousands have fallen through the cracks of Internet censors.
Other websites, including Facebook and YouTube, have previously been banned as part of a government-led censorship campaign, and authorities continue to restrict thousands of online links.
Last month, Pakistan lifted the years-long YouTube ban, in place since 2012 after the video sharing site uploaded the American-made blasphemous film .
But the localised version of the video-sharing site may still be regulated by authorities who can ask Google to remove material deemed inappropriate.
In 2010, Pakistan shut down Facebook for nearly two weeks over its hosting of allegedly blasphemous pages.
