TikTok says it’s working to return to Pakistan despite recent ban

TikTok might have been banished by the Pakistani government, but it appears that the Chinese social media app is not willing to go down without a fight. According to reports, TikTok is gearing up to restore itself in Pakistan, albeit with some conditions.

Having become the most downloaded app in Q3 2020, TikTok needs little introduction at this point, especially in our part of the world. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic meant that people had even more time on their hands to create content for a massive audience seeking entertainment, and this merely added to the growing number of TikTok influencers, content creators, and entertainers, each of whom became celebrities in their own right.

While the app’s popularity is undeniable – it became the second most downloaded app in the world at the start of this year and continued to rise after that – it has also created waves of controversy for allowing the spread of obscene and immoral content, something which has been especially problematic in our nation. This, of course, is what led to its eventual ban in Pakistan in recent times.

But there are always two sides to a coin, and while TikTok was annoying a significant section of our population with its inability to filter out immoral content, it was also serving as a source of livelihood and recognition for thousands of people. Consider Naseer Baloch, a poor laborer who garnered three million followers and 100 million likes on the platform despite coming from an underprivileged background. And there are so many others like him who have managed to find an outlet for their creativity and expression in TikTok.

Therefore, while some aspects of TikTok are problematic, the platform as a whole certainly holds value for the masses. And this is exactly why the social media app is working to restore itself in Pakistan with some modifications.

“We are working to restore TikTok with some conditions. Stay tuned,” said TikTok in a statement, without giving further details.

Similarly, the PTA expressed in a statement that it is open for engagement with TikTok and will review its decision to ban the app if it can come up with a satisfactory mechanism to moderate unlawful content.