PHC directs PTA to Remove blasphemous content from TikTok

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued directives to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure the removal of blasphemous and objectionable material from the popular social media short-video sharing platform TikTok. This decision came during a critical hearing presided over by Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed.

The court responded to a petition filed by Advocate Imran Khan, urging authorities to permanently ban TikTok in Pakistan due to consistent breaches of guidelines and constitutional violations. The bench addressed concerns regarding the platform’s content, focusing particularly on issues of blasphemy and objectionable videos.

Jehanzaib Mehsud, representing PTA, informed the court that they had submitted their comments, while the petitioner’s lawyer reiterated their stance against TikTok, citing instances of blasphemous material being shared on the platform.

Justice Shakeel Ahmed emphasized the importance of promoting positive content while ensuring that objectionable material is swiftly removed. The court raised questions about the effectiveness of PTA’s content moderation measures, pointing out disparities with systems employed in other countries.

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Responding to queries from Justice Shah about implementing better filtering mechanisms, PTA’s lawyer acknowledged the current limitations and pledged to address the court’s concerns. The PHC instructed PTA to take immediate steps to remove objectionable content from TikTok and requested a detailed report within seven days.

The court scheduled the next hearing on July 24 to monitor progress and further discuss the case.

TikTok, which has faced intermittent bans in Pakistan since October 2020, remains a focal point of regulatory scrutiny over content governance. Recent transparency reports from TikTok indicate proactive measures to enforce community guidelines globally, including significant content removals in response to government requests.