TikTok gets banned weeks after the tech-sector warns of “Ban-Astan”

TikTok, a major mobile app popular amongst the teens, used to create short clips of up to 1-minute, has been banned for the second time in Pakistan due to morally objectionable content. The news comes merely weeks after the tech sector jointly expressed concerns over creating a “Ban-Astan” and stressed upon the government to focus on digital transformation.

Read More: Lead digital transformation instead of creating “Ban-Astan.” Tech giants make it clear to the government

According to a news report by SAMAA, the Peshawar High Court has refused to lift Peshawar’s ban until the “objectionable content is removed.” 

The Peshawar high court ban comes after a petition filed in the high court on September 8, 2020. The report says that the petitioner had approached PTA earlier but didn’t receive a response. “Such activities are leading the country’s youth astray, adding that suicide cases are on the rise too.”, the petitioner was quoted as saying.

Pakistan first blocked the app in October last year for the same reasons, after the PTA issued a notice to it and TikTok failed to comply. However, the ban continued only for 10 days, and the app came back online after assuring authorities of taking action against the content in question. Ever since the penetration of TikTok and other apps that serve similar functions among the masses, the newer form of content being generated has been a constant source of controversy.

Owing to the democratic nature of the platform, the app has been extraordinarily popular among all sections of Pakistani society, enabling even daily wage workers and those living in remote/rural areas to attain fame and become popular influencers.

Source: SAMAA TV