Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed relevant authorities to ban popular Chinese video sharing app TikTok.
As per details, PHC bench headed by Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan announced the verdict on Thursday (today), directing immediate ban on TikTok.
The ban will be applicable from today, read the court verdict.
The court has contended that videos and content being circulated on TikTok are ‘unacceptable’ to our society and they are promoting ‘vulgarity’ and indecency.
DG Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also attended the hearing and apprised the court that the regulatory authority had approached TikTok management regarding removal of immoral content from the platform, however such efforts were left unaddressed by the application’s management.
It is to be noted that PTA had banned TikTok across Pakistan on October 9th 2020 last year over circulation of immoral and indecent content.
However, the ban was lifted on October 19th 2020 after successful negotiations between Pakistani authorities and TikTok management over removal of objectionable content and relevant censorship.
TikTok Introduces New Policy For Users Under 18 Years of Age
TikTok had introduced its new policy for users in January earlier this year. As per the new policy users under 16 years of age would no longer be able to receive comments from strangers, have their videos used for “duets” or mark their posts as available to be downloaded.
Furthermore, TikTok users aged 18 or less, their accounts will not be public anymore and will be made private. The new policy barred TikTok users aged 15 or less from utilizing the ‘do-it-yourself’ feature.
TikTok’s Opposition In Pakistan
TikTok has faced significant opposition, criticism from various sections of Pakistani society who have accused the popular Chinese owned app of promoting vulgarity, indecency and content that contradicts traditional values and ethics.
Pertaining to public’s overwhelming opposition, PTA had banned TikTok last year.
“In view of number of complaints from different segments of the society against immoral/indecent content on the video sharing application TikTok, PTA has issued instructions for blocking of the application,” read the official press-release issued by the regulatory authority.
The ban had revived mixed responses, with some praising and supporting PTA’s ban while some criticizing it and demanded for a much efficient and extensive ‘censorship’ and establishment of filter mechanism to neutralize the immoral content being circulated and propagated.
