Chinese platform 'TikTok' blocked again... Pakistan says "Content immoral"

TikTok logo on a smartphone screen taken in Arlington, Virginia, USA, on August 30 (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Eunyoung Choi] The Chinese video platform 'TikTok' has also been subjected to usage restrictions in Pakistan. This marks the third nationwide restriction following India and the United States.

According to foreign media on the 10th, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stated, "Due to numerous complaints from various sectors of society opposing TikTok's immoral and obscene content, we have decided to ban TikTok."

TikTok is an app that allows users to create and share videos of about 15 seconds, and it is especially popular among teenagers and people in their twenties. Users create content by dancing to trending music or producing entertaining scenes with unique effects.

TikTok was downloaded over 40 million times in Pakistan, ranking as the third most downloaded app after WhatsApp and Facebook. However, concerns have been consistently raised about content issues, such as the sexual objectification and exploitation of young girls in the Islamic world.

In response, Pakistan warned TikTok on July 20th, stating, "If the issues of vulgar and immoral content are not resolved, the app will be blocked," but also mentioned, "If TikTok develops mechanisms to improve content, the blocking decision will be reconsidered."

Following the authorities' ban on TikTok citing inappropriate content blocking, conservative Islamic believers reportedly welcomed the move.

On the other hand, teenagers have protested. Digital rights activist Usama Kilji argued, "TikTok is easy to use because it is video-based, making it a major source of entertainment not only for illiterate people but also for Pakistan's middle class, and blocking it is a violation of basic rights."

Meanwhile, TikTok has also been banned in India and the United States. At the end of June, India banned Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, stating that "Chinese apps have infringed on India's sovereignty, security, and public order." In September, the United States imposed usage restrictions, citing national security concerns over fears that the Chinese government could access personal information of 100 million users within the U.S. through TikTok.