Pakistan's government decided to ban social media platforms in the country. This information was confirmed by a government-issued notice and the country's residents.
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen on March 25, 2009 in London, England. The British government has made proposals which would force Social networking websites such as Facebook to pass on details of users, friends and contacts to help fight terrorism.
The Pakistani government released an order called "Complete Blocking of Social Media Platforms," which states that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority should block the available social media apps.
What kind of national emergency we are dealing with that govt banned entire social media temporarily? These arbitrary decisions of blocking and banning have never done any good instead opened ways to blanket bans.
— Nighat Dad (@nighatdad) April 16, 2021
These include Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Telegram. However, the confirmed ban is only temporary since the government's order stated that it will only last from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pakistan's local time (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. GMT) on Friday, Apr. 16.
What Facebook and other apps are blocked
The temporary social media ban was issued after the previous protests that happened because the government arrested the leader of Tehrik-Labaik.
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen on March 25, 2009 in London, England. The British government has made proposals which would force Social networking websites such as Facebook to pass on details of users, friends and contacts to help fight terrorism.
On the other hand, the ban is expected to last around four hours.
However, an entrepreneur claimed that there were similar moves that the government previously conducted. These bans lasted longer than the said durations, as reported by TechCrunch.
Why is it more serious than Myanmar?
Although the current social media ban in Pakistan is somewhat similar to Myanmar's government's previous action, the former is still more serious.
Although Myanmar blocked the internet entirely, BBC previously reported that the residents were still able to access offline social media apps to communicate with their loved ones.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's government banned the actual social media platforms that are usually used by the residents to contact their friends and family.
How to access blocked social media apps
Quartz Africa previously provided some ways that people can do if their country blocks internet or social media apps. However, you need to remember that these methods are not 100% accurate.
The first thing you can do is try and learn how to use circumvention tools. These will allow you to bypass censorship and access the internet anonymously. Tor and Psiphon are included in these tools. On the other hand, you can also try the popular VPNs that will allow you to access remote computers over the internet.
If you want to learn more tricks, all you need to do is click this link.
For more news updates about Pakistan's temporary social media ban and other similar events, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Giuliano de Leon
