Globally, a lot of people use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access content that might be prohibited or unavailable to internet users in their native country.
VPN usage has increased in Pakistan as a result of people utilizing them to access a variety of websites, including X, which has been blocked since February.
The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap) head, Shahzad Arshad, made the observation in response to the federal government’s decision to ban unlicensed VPNs.
The chairman of Wispap stated: “It is critical to acknowledge that general prohibitions or generalizations about tools like VPNs run the risk of alienating certain groups of people, especially those who depend on them for perfectly acceptable reasons like academic research, financial transactions, and IT exports.
It “should be done in a manner that does not compromise the fundamental principles of equitable access to knowledge, commerce, and security,” Arshad emphasized, adding that Wispap was a staunch supporter of policies that ensured responsible use of all technology..
Although the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) declared in September that VPNs were not being banned, it has now declared that unregistered VPNs will cease to function following the registration deadline on November 30.
The revelation comes after officials said that the software was being routinely used to help terrorists carry out violent acts and to get around limits on pornographic content.
The “primary applications of VPN technology have been to ensure privacy, enable secure communication, and allow access to essential online resources for professionals, businesses, and individuals alike,” Arshad said, acknowledging that the technology “unquestionably holds the potential for misuse.”
Evidently, the remark also alluded to the current controversy over the Council of Islamic Ideology’s (CII) declaration that the use of VPNs for specific reasons is not Islamic.
According to the Wispap chairman, “any technological tool — be it a VPN or otherwise — is neutral in nature.”