Video-sharing social networking service TikTok has been hit with a country-wide ban in Pakistan for "peddling vulgarity".
This isn't the first time the Chinese-owned app will be banned in Pakistan. The app was first banned in October 2020, for containing "immoral" and "indecent" contents but lifted the ban 10 days later after TikTok promised to address the issue.
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"In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to the service providers to immediately block access to the TikTok App. During the hearing of a case today, the PHC has ordered for the blocking of App," a Tweet by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announcing the ban on TikTok read.
According to a report by Pakistani-based outlet, Ary News, Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan ordered the ban on the app, while noting that "videos being uploaded on TikTok are unacceptable to our society," and that "TikTok videos are peddling vulgar in society."
A TikTok spokesperson has, however, denied the accusations stating that the app has safeguards in place and as well ensures to keep out inappropriate contents with the help of a local-language moderation team in Pakistan.
"TikTok is built upon the foundation of creative expression, with strong safeguards in place to keep appropriate content off the platform. In Pakistan we have grown our local-language moderation team, and have mechanisms to report and remove content in violent of our community guidelines," A TikTok spokesperson told Aljazeera. "We look forward to continuing to serve the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan who have found a home for creativity and fun."