PTA blocks Bigo, issues final warning to TikTok over vulgar content

(Karachi) In a recent development, Pakistan's Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked live streaming app Bigo and issued a final warning to Chinese app TikTok citing "immoral, obscene and vulgar content" on the apps.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Consul General of China to Karachi Libijian said, "Pakistan issues 'final warning' to TikTok and blocks Bigo app over 'immoral, obscene, and vulgar."

Pakistan issues 'final warning' to TikTok and blocks Bigo app over 'immoral, obscene, and vulgar. Hope that this is a fake news. If ture, someone shall think it over with the consequences of acting like a stooge. https://t.co/w92kaWPU1l 来自 @YahooFinance

— libijian李碧建 (@libijian2) July 22, 2020

He warned, "Hope that this is a fake news. If true, someone shall think it over with the consequences of acting like a stooge."

Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said in a statement that Bigo has been blocked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. It said the video sharing apps were having negative effects on the society in general and the youth in particular.

“PTA had issued necessary notices to the aforementioned social media companies under law to moderate the socialization and content within legal and moral limits, in accordance with the laws of the country. However, the response of these companies has not been satisfactory,” the telecom regulator stated in its statement.

The development comes weeks after the ban on online game PUBG. The game has been temporarily blocked in Pakistan since July 1. Pakistan has blocked more than 800,000 websites and platforms from being accessed in the country since it passed the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act in 2016.