The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued another warning that it is against PTA laws to utilize any means of communication that can be disguised or encrypted, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The PTA already issued a similar warning before this one.
The governing body claimed that it had simplified the registration process in a public notification. It claimed that to reduce disruption, businesses from the public and commercial sectors, diplomatic missions, and independent contractors who desire to use virtual private networks (VPNs) for authorized purposes must register their VPNs by October 31.
According to the announcement, registration applications will be only accepted via the internet link in the future.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, enable users to cloak their online identities and encrypt their internet traffic. According to the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, this makes it more difficult for outsiders to monitor a person’s online habits or steal their data. The PTA issued a similar warning earlier in 2020. The action, according to the telecom regulator at the time, was being carried out to support legal information and communication technology services in Pakistan and to protect the security of telecom users.
Considering the recent banging spree for several websites and services, this may be the last notice of the PTA issues, and the regulator may end up prohibiting VPNs in the country.
PTA claims that the process for registering virtual private networks (VPNs) has been in effect since 2010 and is not a recent development.
