Pakistan has officially made the move to ban TikTok, on the grounds that the app contains “immoral” and “indecent” content.
Pakistan has noted that the app had been offered “considerable time” to “fully comply” with the regulations set out for the social media platform. TikTok’s own transparency report lines out requests from the Pakistani government to remove around 40 accounts earlier in 2020. In response, TikTok only ever placed restrictions on two of the accounts.
This isn’t the first time TikTok has been banned in a country over concerns regarding indecent content. This recent removal follows TikTok’s India ban surrounding concerns regarding the app’s Chinese ownership, grounds that the United States is looking to ban the app for as well. No firm decision regarding TikTok’s US status has been made at present.
Analytics firm Sensor Tower claims TikTok has been downloaded around 43 million times in Pakistan. Despite it being the app’s 12th largest worldwide install market, it was previously the target of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which banned dating apps like Tinder and Grindr for the same reason.
TikTok indicated in a statement to The Verge that it was hopeful that the social media network could return to Pakistan in the future, with “robust protections in place.”
“TikTok is an inclusive platform built upon the foundation of creative expression, and we are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community,” a TikTok spokesperson told The Verge.
It remains to be seen what will happen with the platform in the US, but that situation will likely begin to accelerate in November. Though the TikTok ban is on hold following a court order issued in late September, there are additional restrictions set to be issued that will go into effect on November 12.
