Pakistan is cracking down on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) that allow Internet users to circumvent government controls.
The authorities have claimed they are targeting “unregulated VPNs,” which they said is being used by criminals and militants.
But activists say the new restrictions on VPNs are aimed at regulating the online space and further stifling dissent in the South Asian country of some 240 million.
“The VPN crackdown is the latest example of Pakistan's push for digital control,” said Ramsha Jahangir of the Global Network Initiative, a Washington-based global digital rights watchdog.
The clamp down on VPNs comes after Pakistan imposed a China-style national Internet firewall earlier this year.
The firewall has been blamed for Internet outages and slowdowns that have disrupted businesses and triggered widespread complaints in the Muslim-majority country.
Riders check their mobile phones for online food orders from customers while waiting outside an office in Karachi. (file photo)
Efforts to restrict the use of VPNs has coincided with an ongoing political crisis that has been fueled by the jailing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Supporters of Khan, the founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party, have staged months of protests to demand his release.
'Climate Of Fear'
VPNs are legal in most countries. But they are banned or restricted in authoritarian countries, including Russia, China, and Iran, where the authorities tightly control Internet access and carry out censorship.
In November, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said it was seeking a ban on VPNs because they were being used by militants to “facilitate violent activities.” The ministry said it also wanted to deny access to “pornographic” and blasphemous content.
Later that month, Pakistan’s top body of clerics declared the use of VPNs “un-Islamic,” claiming they led to the “spread of evil.”
The government has since said it would no longer pursue a ban on VPNs. But it has ordered individuals and companies to register their VPNs.
Digital rights campaigners say the move amounts to a ban on VPNs.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on December 7 said that over 31,000 companies and individuals had successfully registered their VPNs.
Pakistan's telecommunications regulator said it will allow banks, software companies, and embassies to use VPNs. Individuals, too, can use the digital tool for commercial purposes, it said.
But activists say the crackdown on VPNs is an attempt at censorship.
“Pakistan is not only limiting its citizens' ability to access information freely but also adding to the climate of fear and surveillance,” said Jahangir of the Global Network Initiative.
The restrictions on VPNs is “indicative of a broader trend of increased Internet censorship,” she added.
'Right To A Livelihood'
The clampdown on VPN use and the Internet slowdown have disrupted the daily work of businesses and entrepreneurs.
Financial experts have warned that the Internet disruptions could exacerbate the severe economic crisis in Pakistan. The government estimates that the country earns more than $2.5 billion annually from digital exports of products and services.
An employee works on a computer at the office of the Pakistan Freelancers Association, a platform and support group to help independent workers in Karachi, Pakistan. (file photo)
“In the current economic climate, patchy Internet signals will infringe on [people’s] right to a livelihood,” said Harris Khalique, head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Sajjad Mustafa Syed, head of the Pakistan Software Houses Association, said a complete ban on VPNs would be a “death blow” for the IT industry.
A full ban would also have “alarming implications” for all Pakistanis, he said, “especially among political dissidents or vulnerable activists and journalists.”
Farieha Aziz, co-founder of the nongovernmental digital rights group Bolo Bhi, said the government is trying to create “a new normal” whereby it can pull the plug on Internet connectivity whenever it wants.
“No one will know when there will be access, what quality, which platforms or services and their features,” she said.