Social media companies have ignored the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s registration demands for five consecutive years, the regulator disclosed in a submission to the Islamabad High Court. The PTA first requested compliance with Rule 7 of the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules, 2021 in October 2021. Five years later, not a single platform has responded.
Rule 7 requires social media companies to register with the PTA and appoint local compliance and grievance officers in Pakistan. The PTA told the court it “has not received an affirmative response from the companies so far.” The authority also acknowledged that “social media platforms are generally not licensed by the telecom regulator” and that unregistered platforms “do not come directly under its control.”
This regulatory gap creates a fundamental enforcement problem. The PTA can request content removal from platforms, but companies assess those requests under their own community guidelines and frequently reject them. The only alternative involves blocking entire websites “on a best-effort basis,” which disrupts lawful content access for millions of Pakistani users.
Technical limitations compound the legal gaps. The PTA explained to the court that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, and X all use HTTPS encryption, which “prevents intermediary network operators from identifying the specific content or internet address being accessed.” This means the PTA can see which platform users visit but cannot identify or block specific posts, videos, or pages without platform cooperation.
Despite these constraints, the PTA disclosed content blocking rates across platforms from 1.789 million reviewed links. TikTok led at 88.68%, followed by YouTube at 87.34%, Instagram at 79.52%, and Facebook at 78.57%. X trailed significantly at just 48.42%. The overall blocking rate reached 88.20%, though these figures represent full URL blocks rather than selective content moderation.
The court proceedings stem from Writ Petition No. 4163 of 2026, which sought restrictions on children’s social media access. The PTA confirmed that “no law currently exists to ban social media use by children under 16” and stated that a new legal and policy framework is necessary to address online threats to minors. A Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority is being established under the PECA Amendment 2025, while cybercrime enforcement has shifted to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
The five-year non-compliance pattern exposes the limits of Pakistan’s current regulatory framework. Without registration, the PTA cannot mandate local grievance officers, enforce content standards, or hold platforms accountable through domestic legal channels. The court proceedings may force legislative action, but social media companies have shown no indication they intend to comply voluntarily.
