Sindh High Court imposes ban on TikTok for inappropriate content [Post#136]

[saeedhk]

So according to you peoples behavior and thought processes don't evolve and change.IK should have stayed a play boy all his life, and as he admitted close to being an atheist. The stupidity of your logic has no boundaries

Even if it has evolved, who gave IK the right to dictate how and what people should do and watch?

He was allowed to live a playboy life and nobody stopped him - if other people want to do it now, why he can’t extend them the same liberty? This is very hypocritical.

 

[El Generico]

This really hurts the Indian social media narrative of Pakistan being a “Chinese colony”. Poor trolls on twitter are scrambling around trying to makes sense of this lol.

 

[Bewal Express]

Even if it has evolved, who gave IK the right to dictate how and what people should do and watch?

He was allowed to live a playboy life and nobody stopped him - if other people want to do it now, why he can’t extend them the same liberty? This is very hypocritical.

The PK people. He is the elected PM. If you don't like the law that gave the power to him, stand for election and change the law.

 

[saeedhk]

The PK people. He is the elected PM. If you don't like the law that gave the power to him, stand for election and change the law.

What? The people of Pakistan gave him the right to ban apps? The people to morally police others?

 

[MenInG]

Shahid Afridi in a media conference has said that:

"Never used TikTok but the types of videos I have seen on it, who ever has taken this decision is a good one"

 

[Bewal Express]

What? The people of Pakistan gave him the right to ban apps? The people to morally police others?

Your argument makes no sense. So are you saying its illegal? If it isn't then he is acting within his powers.

 

[El Generico]

What? The people of Pakistan gave him the right to ban apps? The people to morally police others?

Yeah by voting him in the people did gave him the right to implement his vision and policies. And this seems to be a part of his policy.

If people of Pakistan don’t like this, they should protest or vote him out in the next election.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: TikTok star Hareem Shah on Saturday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to lift the ban on the video-sharing app, terming it a "baseless" decision.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked TikTok on Friday after the company "failed to fully comply" with its instructions for “development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content”.

The PTA said the step was taken after the authority said it received several complaints from different segments of society against "immoral and indecent" content on the video-sharing application.

Exclusive — TikTokers angry, devastated; call TikTok ban a blow to creative freedoms

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Shah said: "No solid reason has been provided for the ban on the app."

The TikTok star said that if vulgarity is a concern it can only be stopped "by imposing Islamic laws".

"TikTok administration removes such [vulgar and inappropriate] content itself," she said, adding that there was no need to place a ban on the app.

Shah highlighted that several people got a chance to groom themselves on the platform and that new talent had emerged from TikTok.

Read more: Pakistan's top TikToker Jannat Mirza calls for removal of PTA ban

Several other TikTokers have expressed similar concerns with some claiming that it was "shutting down the creative freedom of artists".

Meanwhile, highlighting the fact that the application was a source of income for many, Pakistan’s biggest TikTok star, Jannat Mirza, a day earlier, had also called for the removal of the ban.

"In general, it was a good app. It was accessible for everyone. So much talent emerged through this app," she emphasised.

She conceded that it may have been used for “notorious and hate activities”, "but it [TikTok] must continue, with strict rules and conditions".

 

[BreadPakoda]

Shahid Afridi in a media conference has said that:

"Never used TikTok but the types of videos I have seen on it, who ever has taken this decision is a good one"

He should stop watching TikTok videos.

 

[saeedhk]

Your argument makes no sense. So are you saying its illegal? If it isn't then he is acting within his powers.

It is not illegal but you are taking away the livelihoods of thousands of people. It is a very regressive step and a very anti-technology one. According to rumours, YT and FB ban is coming soon!

Also, it is very hypocritical given how much vulgarity there is in Pakistan. How come stage shows, mujras are not banned?

 

[saeedhk]

Yeah by voting him in the people did gave him the right to implement his vision and policies. And this seems to be a part of his policy.

If people of Pakistan don’t like this, they should protest or vote him out in the next election.

Bad logic. People gave Modi the right to do whatever he wants, are you saying whatever Modi does is fine?

 

[Pakpak]

Any truth in this?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How many people think <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TikTok?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TikTok</a> was banned in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> because of ‘vulgar’ content and how many think it was because people were increasingly using the platform to criticise/satirise the government and the army? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tiktokban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tiktokban</a></p>— Mehreen Zahra-Malik (@mehreenzahra) <a href="https://twitter.com/mehreenzahra/status/1314755056412094468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

? Military is bashed and slapped around Geo and the media every day. The word establishment being used as a slur in every debate.

I think it's our snowflakes being offended at anything vulgar that has got it banned.

 

[Greenstorm]

They should have targeted indecent content instead of banning the app.

That being said, IK's concern and efforts for removing beghairti from our society are praiseworthy.

 

[Abdullah719]

TikTok moves PTA, says willing to comply with instructions

ISLAMABAD: The short video-sharing app, TikTok has approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and expressed willingness on further negotiations to comply with instructions for development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content. This was confirmed by PTA spokesperson Khurram Mehran, while talking to Business Recorder, Saturday.

When asked about reasons behind blocking TikTok, Mehran said that every country may have different reasons, but in Pakistan, the reason was indecent and immoral content, which led to blocking the video-sharing app.

The PTA, on Friday, blocked TikTok in Pakistan, after receiving number of complaints from various segments of the society against immoral/indecent content. Replying to a question, Mehran said that TikTok had formally approached the PTA and was ready to talk.

The authority is also open, if they (TikTok) want to negotiate, and comply with instructions for effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content, he added. A tweet issued by official handle of TikTok Pakistan said that the company was working to restore its services in the country. However, no further information has been issued in this regard.

Keeping in view the complaints, and the nature of the content being consistently posted on TikTok, the PTA issued a final notice to the application, and gave considerable time to respond and comply with the authority’s instructions for development of effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40025230/tiktok-moves-pta-says-willing-to-comply-with-instructions

 

[Savak]

Apparently a lot of these Pakistani tiktok girls were making Rs 100,000 plus for each video. They will naturally be annoyed at this ban.

 

[MenInG]

The ban on video-sharing app TikTok by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been challenged in Sindh High Court.

According to the petitioner, there are 20 million users of TikTok in Pakistan and the ban is a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

Article 19 states: "Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence."

The petitioner states that whoever is misusing the app should be penalised and his ID blocked. "It is unreasonable to block the entire application," he adds.

Also read: Hareem Shah urges PM Imran Khan to lift 'baseless' TikTok ban

He has requested that the SHC intervene and lift the ban on TikTok. His petition has been accepted for hearing on October 15.

PTA, TikTok negotiations continue
Meanwhile, negotiations between PTA and TikTok continued today online.

A discussion was held on how content currently "unlawful" under Pakistani laws can be modified to comply with the rules.

A TikTok representative provided a briefing on efforts by the app to moderate such content.

According to PTA, the representative also detailed the company's future strategy.

The chairman asked that TikTok Pakistan submit concrete timelines for the proposed measures it shall be taking, a statement by PTA said.

Both TikTok and PTA expressed the resolve to continue negotiations to reach a solution acceptable to both.

"The provision of a safe internet experience will be guaranteed for users in Pakistan," said the PTA chairman.

PTA bans TikTok
The PTA had banned TikTok on October 9 after it "failed to fully comply" with its instructions for “development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content."

According to PTA, the step was taken after the authority received a number of complaints from different segments of society against "immoral and indecent" content on the video-sharing application.

“Keeping in view the complaints and nature of the content being consistently posted on TikTok, PTA issued a final notice to the application and gave considerable time to respond and comply with the Authority's instructions for the development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content,” a statement issued by the PTA read.

“The application failed to fully comply with the instructions, therefore, directions were issued for blocking of TikTok application in the country.”

 

[saeedhk]

The ban on video-sharing app TikTok by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has been challenged in Sindh High Court.

According to the petitioner, there are 20 million users of TikTok in Pakistan and the ban is a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

Article 19 states: "Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, [commission of] or incitement to an offence."

The petitioner states that whoever is misusing the app should be penalised and his ID blocked. "It is unreasonable to block the entire application," he adds.

Also read: Hareem Shah urges PM Imran Khan to lift 'baseless' TikTok ban

He has requested that the SHC intervene and lift the ban on TikTok. His petition has been accepted for hearing on October 15.

PTA, TikTok negotiations continue
Meanwhile, negotiations between PTA and TikTok continued today online.

A discussion was held on how content currently "unlawful" under Pakistani laws can be modified to comply with the rules.

A TikTok representative provided a briefing on efforts by the app to moderate such content.

According to PTA, the representative also detailed the company's future strategy.

The chairman asked that TikTok Pakistan submit concrete timelines for the proposed measures it shall be taking, a statement by PTA said.

Both TikTok and PTA expressed the resolve to continue negotiations to reach a solution acceptable to both.

"The provision of a safe internet experience will be guaranteed for users in Pakistan," said the PTA chairman.

PTA bans TikTok
The PTA had banned TikTok on October 9 after it "failed to fully comply" with its instructions for “development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content."

According to PTA, the step was taken after the authority received a number of complaints from different segments of society against "immoral and indecent" content on the video-sharing application.

“Keeping in view the complaints and nature of the content being consistently posted on TikTok, PTA issued a final notice to the application and gave considerable time to respond and comply with the Authority's instructions for the development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content,” a statement issued by the PTA read.

“The application failed to fully comply with the instructions, therefore, directions were issued for blocking of TikTok application in the country.”

Hopefully, Immy will face humiliation soon.

 

[MenInG]

TikTok — the highly popular video-sharing app — said on Saturday it had "received no communication" from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) despite the regulator's acknowledgement and appreciation of the company's efforts to comply with the country's laws and to increase its content moderation.

In a press release, TikTok said it was "sad that our users and creators in Pakistan are still unable to access TikTok, more than one week after our services were blocked by the PTA".

Earlier this month, the country's regulatory body had issued instructions to impose a ban on TikTok after receiving a "number of complaints from different segments of the society against immoral/indecent content" that was shared on the app.

PTA said it had earlier issued a "final notice" to TikTok and gave the application "considerable time to respond and comply with" instructions for development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of "unlawful online content"

However, the company "failed to fully comply" with PTA's instructions after which the authority decided to ban it in the country.

In today's statement, TikTok said it had "made concerted efforts to address questions from the government of Pakistan around our content moderation process, including significantly increasing the capacity of our local language content moderation team".

"After TikTok was blocked in Pakistan, we continued to engage with the PTA to demonstrate our commitment to comply with local laws and further enhance our content moderation capacity. Though the PTA acknowledged and appreciated these efforts, our services remain blocked in the country and we have received no communication from PTA," the statement added.

The company said it was unfortunate that the app's users in the country were "unable to showcase their talent and creativity", adding that the TikTok community's "creativity and passion has brought joy to households across Pakistan and opened vital economic opportunities to incredibly talented creators".

TikTok said it was continuing to engage with the government and it hoped that "our productive dialogue with the PTA can bring assurance of the government's commitment to a stable, enabling environment."

The company said it would assess its allocation of resources to Pakistan's market in case the government decided to remove the ban on the app.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1585562/t...ved-no-communication-from-pta-despite-efforts

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

I don't agree with a blanket ban on any app instead, we should create revenue sharing models so that these companies actually end up benefiting Pakistan.

For example, in this case, the government should make them have a local office in Pakistan which should have 100-200 staff at least for content moderation if not engineers and app developers. The revenue earned from Pakistan by foreign apps should also be somehow taxed in Pakistan and laws must be developed for such a scenario if there are no legal frameworks available already.

Blanket bans just create more avenues for people to cheat the system and with knowledge spreading virally, it takes just one whatsapp forward before people learn about using proxy servers & VPNs.

On the front of "indecent and immoral content" and it's control, that ship has sailed long ago. Just as you cannot push toothpaste back in the tube once it is out, you cannot control this anymore. Take the example of western countries, despite them having all the immoral avenues available, hundreds if not thousands of people revert to Islam every year. These reverts also surprisingly include women who leave their lifestyle to accept Islam and follow Islam even more religiously than born Muslims.

Educate the public, create awareness through content moderation, milk the behemoth companies through taxes and employment so they don't leach the underlying country and form symbiotic relationships with them.

"Islam khatray main hai" kinda narrative won't work unless we ban literally everything and adopt the hasidic jew way of life in entire Pakistan.

 

[MenInG]

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on Monday said that TikTok is being unlocked "after assurance from management that they will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality".

The video-sharing app was blocked on October 9 for its “obscene and immoral” content. PTA at the time had said it earlier issued a "final notice" to TikTok and gave the application "considerable time to respond and comply with" instructions for development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of "unlawful online content".

The Chinese social media giant TikTok issued a cryptic statement on Saturday which called for lifting of the ban on the app in return for a vague assurance centred on the “allocation of resources” to the Pakistani market.

“If the Government of Pakistan decides to reopen access to our services in the future, we will certainly assess our allocation of resources to this market,” the carefully worded statement said.

According to some estimates, the app has been installed 43 million times in Pakistan, with 14.7 million of those coming in the year 2020 alone. The app was banned in the country on Oct 9 with the regulator citing “obscenity” as the reason.

 

[Syed1]

Hopefully, Immy will face humiliation soon.

Tik Tok unbanned. Talk now

 

[marlonbrowndo]

I’d rather live in a totalitarian society than have Pakistani tik tok “stars” walking around. I was actually happy with this ban

 

[saeedhk]

Tik Tok unbanned. Talk now

It is a good move no doubt. It should not have been banned from the onset if Immy had to take U-turn and unban it. I know a content-control mechanism has been deployed to filter out offensive content but still, nobody has the right to morally police anyone.

 

[saeedhk]

I’d rather live in a totalitarian society than have Pakistani tik tok “stars” walking around. I was actually happy with this ban

Are you willing to compensate the loss of earnings of thousands of Pakistani Tik-Tok stars?

 

[MenInG]

Amount of junk we have to delete when some usual suspects start to post.

Watch your step.

 

[MenInG]

Authorities in Pakistan have announced the lifting of a ban on TikTok, saying they received assurances from the video-sharing app that it would “moderate” content in accordance with local laws.

“TikTok is being unlocked after assurance from management that they will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity
and immorality,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said in a statement on Monday.

Earlier this month, the regulatory body said it had blocked the popular app after receiving complaints of vulgarity from members of the public.

In a statement published on Saturday, TikTok said it was “disappointed” that users in Pakistan were unable to access its service.

“Over the past year, we’ve made concerted efforts to address questions from the Government of Pakistan around our content moderation process, including significantly increasing the capacity of our local language content moderation team,” TikTok said in a statement.

The company said that even after the ban, it continued to “engage with the PTA to demonstrate our commitment to comply with local laws”.

“Though the PTA acknowledged and appreciated these efforts, our services remain blocked in the country and we have received no communication from PTA,” the statement added.

History of censorship
The move against TikTok came months after livestreaming app Bigo Live was banned for the same reasons, while dating app Tinder has also been blocked in recent months.

In August, authorities warned YouTube to block “vulgarity and hate speech”. The online video platform introduced a localised version in Pakistan after a ban that lasted for several months in 2012 following protests against a movie deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammad.

In 2016, Pakistan’s parliament passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act to regulate, among other things, online content.

It gave the PTA broad powers to block content considered to be against “the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or … public order, decency or morality”.

Rights groups said PTA had blocked more than 800,000 websites and platforms from being accessed within the country.

The list of blocked websites includes pornographic platforms but has also included news outlets considered critical of the country’s security and foreign policies, some social media and some websites of political parties.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/19/tiktok-ban-in-pakistan-lifted

 

[MenInG]

Information Minister Shibli Faraz has said that the government should not set restrictions on media content, even as the country's regulatory authorities continue to ban apps and television serials for "immoral" content.

He maintained, however, that the entertainment industry should adhere to the “norms and standards of [the] family system in Pakistan along with religious restrictions and guidance". He made the comments in an interview with Arab News published on Monday.

The information minister also insisted that it was important that the local audience be familiarised with "historical heroes of this region" through films.

“We need films on and around the lives of historical heroes of this region, so that cinema becomes not only a source of promoting our history but also an inspiration for youth,” Faraz told Arab News. Prime Minister Imran Khan has also stressed the point on several occasions and last year he had made a special request to the state-run Pakistan Television to air the Turkish serial Dirilis: Ertugrul so that "our children and youth know what our culture is".

In response to a question pertaining to whether governments should impose moral codes on television channels, Faraz said: "I personally believe that the government should not go to these lengths.”

In the same vein, he said that television shows and movies should not "damage our religious and cultural standards".

Last month, Pemra banned the repeat telecast of dramas Pyar Kay Sadqay and Ishqiya, that aired on HUM TV and ARY Digital respectively, for content "against social and religious values". Earlier this month, the regulator issued an advisory for broadcasters and advertisers urging them to refrain from using themes and content which do not correspond with the nature of the product being marketed after it received complaints against a biscuit ad.

In his interview that appeared today, Faraz also addressed the ban placed on the TikTok app by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which was lifted earlier today.

“The issue is that if something is used in a wrong way, everyone related to it has to face the consequences,” he said. “I don’t think that entire content on the app was inappropriate.”

He added that the ban was temporary, saying that the government means to design a mechanism in order to block "objectionable" content.

“But before reopening the app, the government wants to make sure that there is a certain mechanism […] that barred the objectionable content from the reach of everyone.”

Earlier today, PTA had released a statement saying that the ban on TikTok — which was placed by the authority 10 days ago — had been lifted "after assurance from management that they will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality".

https://www.dawn.com/news/1585918/s...t-content-but-says-it-shouldnt-violate-values

 

[Savak]

It's crazy but I have heard that a lot of male and females in Pakistan who know how to use tiktok and make the most out of their pics, videos were making a killing ie Rs 100-500k and even as high as Rs 2,000,000 a month.

Why the hell would one toil away in university perusing tough education for 8-10 years when they will never come close to making that kind of money very easily or quickly during their lifetimes?

A lot of people were in favor of this tik tok ban, it wasn't as divided or against as social media is reporting it to be

 

[JaDed]

It's crazy but I have heard that a lot of male and females in Pakistan who know how to use tiktok and make the most out of their pics, videos were making a killing ie Rs 100-500k and even as high as Rs 2,000,000 a month.

Why the hell would one toil away in university perusing tough education for 8-10 years when they will never come close to making that kind of money very easily or quickly during their lifetimes?

A lot of people were in favor of this tik tok ban, it wasn't as divided or against as social media is reporting it to be

Thats a terrible comparison, University prepares you for life , tiktok and youtube fame are very hard to maintain and dependent upon the Tech giants, there are many youtubers that lost out when youtube changed their algorithm even now youtube seems to be moving to live stream one.. which it thinks is the future..

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Thats a terrible comparison, University prepares you for life , tiktok and youtube fame are very hard to maintain and dependent upon the Tech giants, there are many youtubers that lost out when youtube changed their algorithm even now youtube seems to be moving to live stream one.. which it thinks is the future..

Don't TikTok celebrity do their stuff live too? I haven't installed it once. Saw some roasting videos of TikTok celebrities from youtubers and decided to never install it.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

It's crazy but I have heard that a lot of male and females in Pakistan who know how to use tiktok and make the most out of their pics, videos were making a killing ie Rs 100-500k and even as high as Rs 2,000,000 a month.

Why the hell would one toil away in university perusing tough education for 8-10 years when they will never come close to making that kind of money very easily or quickly during their lifetimes?

A lot of people were in favor of this tik tok ban, it wasn't as divided or against as social media is reporting it to be

What type of videos were they?

 

[JaDed]

Don't TikTok celebrity do their stuff live too? I haven't installed it once. Saw some roasting videos of TikTok celebrities from youtubers and decided to never install it.

They probably do ,my point is algorithms keep changing except Bhuvam Bam no one has been consistently able to create content for masses.. and the concept changes every 2-4 years.. its brutal to be a youtube star.. i can’t even imagine how they cope up with changes to algo, viewers etc..

Live stream is mostly for gamers.. Twitch did it first.. but youtube picks up faster due to younger kids..

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

They probably do ,my point is algorithms keep changing except Bhuvam Bam no one has been consistently able to create content for masses.. and the concept changes every 2-4 years.. its brutal to be a youtube star.. i can’t even imagine how they cope up with changes to algo, viewers etc..

Live stream is mostly for gamers.. Twitch did it first.. but youtube picks up faster due to younger kids..

Yeah it is not easy to create content for youtube regularly especially if you are alone. I have seen so many youtubers from tech industry quit posting on youtube due to burn out.

 

[Technics 1210]

Thats a terrible comparison, University prepares you for life , tiktok and youtube fame are very hard to maintain and dependent upon the Tech giants, there are many youtubers that lost out when youtube changed their algorithm even now youtube seems to be moving to live stream one.. which it thinks is the future..

Depends which degree you do but universities might prepare you for life but the student is saddled with debt for decades.

Whats the average salary for a new graduate?

Times are changing. Long gone are the days where a degree (of any sort) would guarantee a future. It's quite the opposite now.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: A 20-year-old man in Karachi accidentally took his own life while shooting a clip for the popular video-sharing website TikTok.

According to Geo News, the man, who worked as a security guard for a flour mill in the Gulshan-e-Maymar area of the city, was getting a video of himself filmed while holding a gun in his hand.

As seen in the video, which later went viral on social media, the security guard loaded some bullets into his gun before pointing the barrel towards his chest.

The person filming the video, who was also a security guard at the factory, could be heard warning the 20-year-old man to be careful with the gun.

"What are you doing? Stop it! You will die," he could be heard screaming in the clip.

And while the deceased was apparently only having fun for the sake of making his video go viral, he accidentally shot himself and lost his life.

Shortly after the tragic incident, the body of the youngster was shifted to Karachi's Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. However, the victim's family refused to carry out an autopsy of the body.

According to Geo News, the man hailed from the Sanghar District of Sindh. He was hired as a security guard by the flour mill 15 days ago.

 

[ahmedzee]

KARACHI: A 20-year-old man in Karachi accidentally took his own life while shooting a clip for the popular video-sharing website TikTok.

According to Geo News, the man, who worked as a security guard for a flour mill in the Gulshan-e-Maymar area of the city, was getting a video of himself filmed while holding a gun in his hand.

As seen in the video, which later went viral on social media, the security guard loaded some bullets into his gun before pointing the barrel towards his chest.

The person filming the video, who was also a security guard at the factory, could be heard warning the 20-year-old man to be careful with the gun.

"What are you doing? Stop it! You will die," he could be heard screaming in the clip.

And while the deceased was apparently only having fun for the sake of making his video go viral, he accidentally shot himself and lost his life.

Shortly after the tragic incident, the body of the youngster was shifted to Karachi's Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. However, the victim's family refused to carry out an autopsy of the body.

According to Geo News, the man hailed from the Sanghar District of Sindh. He was hired as a security guard by the flour mill 15 days ago.

Saw that video. It is crazy how youth is doing whatever they can for tiktok videos (or even youtube videos). Doing stunts require training and if you are doing that without any training then you got to be the biggest fool. Similar what was the kid thinking? That he can shoot himself and live?

Seriously!

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Shahid Afridi in a media conference has said that:

"Never used TikTok but the types of videos I have seen on it, who ever has taken this decision is a good one"

Have to say I do agree with afridi. Our society as a whole is already an unintelligent one and we don’t need to lose more IQ points through garbage like Tik tok. So many great forms of entertainment out there that people should consume

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Have to say I do agree with afridi. Our society as a whole is already an unintelligent one and we don’t need to lose more IQ points through garbage like Tik tok. So many great forms of entertainment out there that people should consume

Banning isn't a solution. Also tiktok isn't as big for youths as it is for teens. Dont think you should expect great things from 15-16 year olds.

 

[JaDed]

Have to say I do agree with afridi. Our society as a whole is already an unintelligent one and we don’t need to lose more IQ points through garbage like Tik tok. So many great forms of entertainment out there that people should consume

I have said this already, tiktok is the easiest to use, from domestic help to small farmers with phones are able to utilize it, it helps that songs play a huge part of it.

What is the form entertainment available for these people?

Having said it will not be part of my phone.

 

[MenInG]

Italian prosecutors have opened a probe into the accidental death of a 10-year-old girl who allegedly took part in a "blackout challenge" on the video-sharing network TikTok.

The girl died in a Palermo hospital after being discovered Wednesday by her five-year-old sister in her family bathroom with her cellphone, which was seized by police.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, said Friday it had not managed to identify any content on its site that could have encouraged the girl to participate in any such challenge, but was helping the authorities in the probe over possible "incitement to suicide".

"The safety of the TikTok community is our absolute priority, for this motive we do not allow any content that encourages, promotes or glorifies behaviour that could be dangerous," a TikTok spokesman said.

Medical experts have warned about the danger of the challenge being taken up by some young people, who refer to it as "scarfing" or "the choking game" in which restricted oxygen to the brain results in a high.

The girls' parents told La Repubblica newspaper that another daughter explained that her sister "was playing the blackout game".

"We didn't know anything," the girl's father told the paper.

"We didn't know she was participating in this game. We knew that (our daughter) went on TikTok for dances, to look at videos. How could I imagine this atrocity?" he said.

Italy's data protection agency filed a lawsuit against TikTok in December, alleging a "lack of attention to the protection of minors" and criticising the ease with which very young children could sign up to the video app.

TikTok, which went global in 2018, has built its rapid success on its parodies, messages and short dance or comedy video performances set against popular music -- along with an algorithm that determines which content is most likely to interest each user.

The death of the girl provoked strong reactions in Italy and calls for better regulation of social networks.

 

[MenInG]

Four TikTokers, including one female, were shot dead near Anklesaria Hospital in Karachi's Garden area early on Tuesday morning, officials said.

City Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sarfaraz Nawaz Shaikh said all four deceased were active on social media, particularly Tik Tok. He said two of those who died, identified as Muskan and Amir, were friends.

According to the official, Muskan called Amir, asking him to meet on Monday night. Amir arranged a car and took his friends, Rehan and Sajjad, to meet her.

"All four of them roamed the city and [Amir and Muskan] also made TikTok videos [during that time]," the police officer said.

The official said the four were attacked near Anklesaria Hospital, Garden, at 4:48am by unknown assailants. "The woman was killed inside the car while all three men were shot outside the car. They were taken to the hospital but succumbed to their wounds," the official said.

Empty shells from 9mm pistols were found near the car, he said. The family of the deceased arrived at the police station and a first information report (FIR) would be registered, he added.

Shaikh said Rehan and Sajjad had previously made a TikTok video in which they were seen doing aerial firing in the city's Ittihad Town area. Police had taken notice of the video after it went viral on social media, registering an FIR against the two men.

He further said the murders "appeared to be the outcome of some personal issues". However, the exact motive and identity of the killers were being investigated, he added.

The SSP said there were no witnesses to the incident.

 

[MenInG]

TikTok, a mobile application commonly used by teenagers to make and share videos, has been banned in Peshawar over ‘immoral content’.

Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan said that the ban not be removed till objectionable content is removed.

The PTA DG told the court that he contacted authorities to get objectionable content removed but he didn’t receive any response. Justice Khan remarked that the app should remain blocked till authorities respond.

A man filed a petition in the high court on September 8, 2020. He said that he approached the court after the PTA and other institutions failed to take notice of the “immoral and objectionable” content on the app.

He said that such activities are leading the country’s youth astray, adding that suicide cases are on the rise too. The PTA and PEMRA were named respondents.

Pakistan blocked the app on October 9, 2020 for its “obscene and immoral” content. The PTA said it had issued a final notice to the app and gave considerable time to respond and develop and an effective mechanism for ‘proactive moderation of unlawful online content.’ TikTok has failed to fully comply with the PTA’s instructions, a press release sent by the authority reads.

The ban was, however, reversed after 10 days. The PTA spokesperson said the TikTok management has assured the authority that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality and moderate content in accordance with local laws. The authority has not announced whether the app will be unblocked immediately.

The authority had said at the time of the ban that the decision was made after it received complaints ‘against immoral/indecent content’ on the app. “In view of the presence of vulgar, indecent/immoral content on the platform and its negative effects on the society, the PTA has been continuously asserting TikTok to prevent its platform from disseminating the unlawful content,” it said, adding that the app didn’t take concrete steps for blocking and removal of unlawful content.

 

[saeedhk]

Pakistan is full throttle but in reverse. Touching new heights of backwardness every day!

 

[MenInG]

Islamabad, Pakistan – A Pakistani court has ordered a ban on the TikTok social media platform over alleged “obscene content”, the second time the app has been banned in the South Asian country in less than six months.

The Peshawar High Court’s Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan made the ruling during a hearing into a petition against the platform on Thursday.

Khan described some videos uploaded on the popular platform as being “unacceptable for Pakistani society”, and ordered the country’s internet regulator to ban the service until it put in place content controls deemed acceptable by the court.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) “will comply to court orders”, the regulator’s spokesperson Khurram Mehran told Al Jazeera.

TikTok challenged the ruling saying it has guidelines to monitor content.

“TikTok is built upon the foundation of creative expression, with strong safeguards in place to keep inappropriate content off the platform,” the company said in a statement.

“In Pakistan we have grown our local-language moderation team, and have mechanisms to report and remove content in violation of our community guidelines. 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.”

In October, the PTA banned TikTok over similar allegations, saying the platform had failed to filter out “immoral and indecent” content.

Ten days later, it lifted the ban, saying Pakistani authorities had been assured by TikTok’s management that “they will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality”.

The platform, which allows users to share short videos with each other, is hugely popular in the South Asian nation of 220 million people, and has more than 20 million active monthly users, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Popular Pakistani users on the platform have follower counts in the hundreds of thousands of users.

Tightly controlled

Use of the internet is heavily regulated in Pakistan with the PTA empowered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to block content on a broad range of criteria, including for being against “the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or … public order, decency or morality”.

Rights groups say the process and criteria of blocking content has long been opaque and often violates citizens’ rights to freedom of expression.

The country scored 26 out of 100 on the US-based Freedom House’s 2020 Freedom of the Net index, which said, “The online environment in Pakistan is tightly controlled by the government.”

In November, Pakistan passed a draconian new set of regulations to strengthen the PTA’s powers under PECA and requiring social media platforms with more than 500,000 users to establish offices in Pakistan.

Al Jazeera

 

[MenInG]

TikTok has reportedly stopped working in the country after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed service providers to block it.

The development comes after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) ruled earlier in the day to block the video-sharing platform.

The image showing that the app, TikTok, has stopped working in Pakistan. — A screenshot from a phone.
The video-sharing platform will remain blocked in the country till it complies with the government's rules and regulations. The PTA had directed the country's service providers to block users' access to video-sharing app TikTok — in line with the court's orders.

"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," the PTA had said.

The orders were issued by PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, who was hearing a petition filed by a citizen seeking a ban on Tiktok.

During the hearing, the PHC CJ observed that videos uploaded on TikTok are "not acceptable for the Pakistani society”.

He added that the people that were mostly affected by TikTok were the youth.

TikTok's response

After the PHC had ordered to ban the app, TikTok, in a statement, said that it uses a combination of technologies and moderation strategies to detect and review content that violates its terms of service and community guidelines.

"We implement penalties including removing videos and banning accounts when there are violations. Our H2 2020 Transparency Report shows that we aggressively and proactively take down inappropriate content in Pakistan," it said.

The company said the report highlighted its commitment to complying with local laws. "In fact, we have enhanced moderation capabilities in Pakistan, with our local-language moderation team growing close to 250% since September."

The company said it is committed to continue working closely with the PTA to further strengthen safeguards on behalf of its users. But it said it was also committed to ensuring its users' rights to express themselves creatively on the platform — in line with company policies.

GEO

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/03/sheikhupura-man-hit-by-train-while-filming-tiktok-video/

A man died after he was run over by a train while filming a video for TikTok in Sheikhupura, the police said on Saturday.

The victim, identified as Asif, was shooting the video on the tracks when he was hit by the train travelling from Lahore to Narowal.

Immediately after the incident, the Railway police reached the site and moved the body to a hospital. “We are looking for his details so that the body can be sent back home.”

According to the police, a number of incidents like this have been reported across the country in the past few months.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority blocked the video-sharing app in the country on the orders of the Peshawar High Court.

“In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to service providers to immediately block access to TikTok,” the authority said in a Twitter post.

The video-sharing app was first blocked in Pakistan on October 9, 2020, over its “obscene and immoral” content. The PTA said it had issued a final notice to the app and gave considerable time to respond and develop and an effective mechanism for ‘proactive moderation of unlawful online content.’ TikTok has failed to fully comply with the PTA’s instructions, a press release sent by the authority reads.

The ban was, however, reversed after 10 days. The PTA spokesperson said the TikTok management has assured the authority that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality and moderate content in accordance with local laws. The authority has not announced whether the app will be unblocked immediately.

The authority had said at the time of the ban that the decision was made after it received complaints ‘against immoral/indecent content’ on the app. “In view of the presence of vulgar, indecent/immoral content on the platform and its negative effects on the society, the PTA has been continuously asserting TikTok to prevent its platform from disseminating the unlawful content,” it said, adding that the app didn’t take concrete steps for blocking and removal of unlawful content.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pesh HC has suspended the operation of single bench judgement,ban on <a href="https://twitter.com/TikTok_****?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TikTok_****</a> has been lifted,my submission is lets be very careful while taking decisions that may effect Economic future of Pak,we need a framework to encourage int companies so to make Pak their investment hub</p>— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1377509028109160448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Firebat]

PHC lifts ban on TikTok

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday lifted the ban on popular social media platform TikTok directing the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to take more steps to curb immoral content.

PHC Chief Justice Qaisar Rashid Khan presided over the hearing of a petition filed against the social media platform wherein, DG PTA, director legal PTA and authority’s lawyer Jahanzeb Mehsud and petitioner's lawyer Sara Ali Khan appeared before the court.

During the proceedings, PHC chief justice inquired about action taken against the immoral content on the social media app.

“We have raised the issue again with the TikTok’s administration,” the DG PTA replied. “ They have also hired a focal person and will look into all the immoral and illegal content that is being uploaded.”

The judge remarked that PTA should have a system in place that could distinguish between good and bad content whereas immoral content should not be uploaded on TikTok at all.

“When people find out that PTA is taking action against them, then they will not upload such things,” the judge further said.

DG PTA prayed that they have asked the TikTok administration to block such users who upload such content repeatedly.

PTA lawyer Mehsud prayed that there are some sites in which certain things cannot be blocked and the entire site has to be shutdown.

The court directed the DGP PTA to submit a detailed report at the next hearing by May 25.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292672/phc-lifts-ban-on-tiktok

 

[OMB]

Pakistan teen dies in TikTok fake suicide stunt gone wrong


PESHAWAR — A young Pakistani was killed as he pretended to shoot himself while being filmed by friends for a TikTok video, police said Thursday (May 20).

Hamidullah, 19, who police said was well-known locally on social media, held a friend's pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger, unaware the gun was loaded.

"The young man died on spot," said Mr Badshah Hazrat, a senior police official in the northwestern Swat Valley.

While the clip of the incident was not uploaded to TikTok, police said friends circulated it among themselves and it soon spread further afield.

"The young man was locally famous and active on TikTok," Mr Hazrat told AFP.

The 19-year-old had more than 8,000 followers and posted nearly 600 TikTok clips.

Most were of him playing pranks with friends, cricket, or featured life in the rugged and picturesque valley.

The death was just the latest incident of a social media stunt gone wrong in Pakistan.

A security guard was killed in Karachi last year while toying with his rifle as he filmed a TikTok clip, while in January another teenager died after being struck by a train while filming for the app in Rawalpindi.

https://www.todayonline.com/world/pakistan-teen-dies-tiktok-fake-suicide-stunt

 

[MenInG]

The Jakarta Post' reports a 19-year-old from Pakistan died while staging a suicide prank attempt for a TikTok Video.

A young man by the name of Hamidullah from Swat, Pakistan, purportedly set up a video premise where he would shoot himself in the head on camera for TikTok, effectively faking his own death. In what was probably an attempt to make the video look as genuine as possible, Hamidullah used a Tokarev TT pistol in the clip.

The pre-WW2 Soviet Era handguns, despite being out of production for decades, are commonly found in Pakistan and India, as the USSR supplied tons of weapons to the region between 1961 and 1965. It should be noted that possession of firearms in the country without a dealer's license is expressly prohibited and it's unknown if Hamidullah had one prior to his death.

As per Newsweek, the young man didn't know that the TT was loaded, so when he put the gun to his head to prank his followers about the suicide, he actually ended up shooting himself. He died almost immediately.

A local news station in Pakistan has reportedly obtained the footage and broadcast it in the country, which has since been uploaded to YouTube.

Police told the Express Tribune in a statement: "This boy was pretending to commit suicide with a loaded pistol. He put the gun on his head and then it suddenly misfired. The unfortunate youngster died on the spot as he was directly hit in the head. There was no chance of survival."

Hamidullah and his friends also reportedly captured the entire thing on video and uploaded it online, where the clip was widely disseminated.

While none of his friends or family members have publicly commented about his accidental suicide, the clip was taken off of the app.

Hamidullah had about 8,000 followers on TikTok prior to the suicide prank.

Police indicated that he was well-known locally and had uploaded over 600 videos to the platform. Most of them involved him engaging in cricket games, showing what his daily life in Swat was like, and various pranks.

Unbelievably enough, this wasn't the first time someone died from TikTok-related injuries in Pakistan.

A security guard in Karachi was filming himself while playing with his firearm for the social media platform and, like Hamidullah, died after accidentally discharging his weapon.

Another teenager was filming a clip near a moving train in Rawalpindi and was struck by said train, dying from their injuries.

Please TikTok responsibly, folks.

https://www.distractify.com/p/tiktok-suicide-prank

 

[sindhiboy]

One month until it is blocked for the 10th in a period of 10 months

 

[saeedhk]

The video of the suicide prank is doing the rounds of FB. It is pretty graphic; it captures the moment the boy shot himself in the head.

 

[Saj]

The video of the suicide prank is doing the rounds of FB. It is pretty graphic; it captures the moment the boy shot himself in the head.

My sympathies for his family, but one has to wonder about the mental health of such individuals who feel the need to do such pranks.

 

[OMB]

TikToker fined for shooting videos, violating traffic rules on Multan Motorway

The accused was driving dangerously on the Multan Motorway and was making TikTok videos with his friends.

MULTAN: A TikToker was slapped with a heavy fine over violation of traffic rules and driving recklessly on the M-3 motorway, the Motorway Police said on Tuesday.

According to the Motorway Police spokesperson, the accused was driving dangerously on the Multan Motorway and was making TikTok videos with his friends.

The TikToker was fined for reckless driving, lane violation, driving without a license, and traffic disruption, he added.

This is not the first time when TikTokers are in news for their mania to shoot crazy videos for their followers.

Last year, police arrested a man for masquerading as a beggar in Sialkot, with initial reports revealing that he was a TikTok star.

The Tiktoker was begging in a neighbourhood when the police got suspicious and arrested him.

After the police had washed his face, the young man's face became visible.

Police had said that they recovered US dollars, UK pounds, and Saudi riyals from the impersonator.

The police had disclosed the person's name as Yasir.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/351764-motorway-police-spokesperson-fined-for-making-tiktok-videos-on-car

 

[OMB]

PSL have done a deal with TikTok which is odd given the Govt's obvious disapproval of this social media site

 

[MenInG]

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has banned popular video sharing platform TikTok in the country over "immoral content" and for celebrating "LGBTQ-Pride Month". The latest ban, the third within the last two years, will be applicable till at least July 8, which is the next date of hearing.

A SHC bench issued this order on Monday while hearing a “suit of declaration and injunctions” in which the petitioner had nominated the federal government, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and TikTok as respondents.

Earlier on March 11, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also ordered the PTA to ban TikTok over "immoral content". The PHC, however, lifted the ban on April 1 after the PTA told the court that it had raised the issue again with the TikTok’s administration.

The PHC had directed the PTA to ensure that viewers from Pakistan do not access unethical and objectionable material in view the provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

Commenting on the previous court orders, the SHC noted that the PHC had lifted ban on TikTok in view of submissions by the representative of the defendant No 2, that is the PTA, but TikTok paid no heed to the constant undertakings and assurances given by them and the PTA before various courts.

“[TikTok is not] respecting the law and the basic injunctions of Islam as well as the culture of Pakistan, has recently started a social media campaign whereby they are celebrating 'LGBT-Pride Month'.

"Let [a] notice be issued to the defendants as well a DAG [Deputy Attorney General] Pakistan for 08.07.2021 and till then the defendant No 2 [TikTok] is hereby directed to suspend the operations of and/or access to the TikTok application in Pakistan," the order added.

Lawyers Asad Ashfaq and Maaz Waheed confirmed the development, while talking to The Express Tribune. Separately, various petitioners have also moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan to impose a ban on TikTok in view of the alleged rise in crimes and use of drugs due to the use of the app.

The petitioners belonging to the city of Lahore have claimed that TikTok is also damaging the culture of education institutions and is also a cause of suicide in some users.

Express Tribune

 

[King_Kohli]

Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at TikTok ban, condemns 'judicial activism

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has lashed out at the Sindh High Court's (SHC) verdict banning TikTok across Pakistan till July 8, terming it "judicial activism".

The high court issued an order Monday to suspend the video-sharing app TikTok across Pakistan till July 8, nearly three months after the country had lifted a ban imposed on it.

Taking to Twitter, Chaudhry warned of consequences Pakistan will face in case it did not carry out judicial reforms.

"Pakistan will never come out of its economic crisis if judicial reforms are not undertaken," he tweeted.

"I'm baffled after reading yesterday's verdicts on suspension of TikTok and the removal of the NBP president, and can't help but wonder: what are our courts doing?" asked the information minister.

Chaudhry noted that Pakistan, already, was suffering from losses worth billions of dollars due to "judicial activism".

This is not the first time the minister has criticised the court's verdict, especially those concerning digital apps in Pakistan.

In February, the minister had said judicial activism in the past set back Pakistan's technological progress.

Speaking at the International Media Conference in February, Chaudhry had lamented that Pakistan's relations with digital media companies deteriorated due to some court decisions taken in 2014.

He had regretted the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's decision to block TikTok last year.

"I plead with judges not to hear cases relating to digital media," he had said.

The minister had highlighted that if Pakistan does not alter its state policies, it will never be able to attract foreign investment. "Political and economic independence moulds an individual's life," he had said.

Why did SHC suspend TikTok, again?
The SHC's ruling came during a hearing on a petition filed to suspend the app Monday, where the court issued a notice to the attorney general of Pakistan and directed him to follow the orders and get the app suspended.

Presenting his arguments in the court, the petitioner's lawyer said the Peshawar High Court had earlier banned TikTok as some videos uploaded on the platform are "immoral and against the teachings of Islam."

The lawyer had said his client had approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) before moving the court, however, the PTA did not do anything in this regard.

Pakistan lifts ban on TikTok in April
Back in April, Pakistan, for the second time, had officially lifted a ban on China-based ByteDance's app TikTok consequent to a local high court's order.

This was done almost a month after the same judicature had directed the state-run telecommunication authority to "immediately block access" to the short-form video-sharing service.

However, the PTA had also issued a stern warning to TikTok against "vulgar and objectionable content", which it was told to remove.

The "PTA has issued directions to the service providers to unblock access to the TikTok App", the authority said in a press release shared on Twitter.

"However, the TikTok App management has been told to ensure that vulgar and objectionable content are to be made inaccessible in accordance with the PECA provisions and directions of the Honorable Court," it warned.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/357668-fawad-chaudhry-lashes-out-at-tiktok-ban-condemns-judicial-activism

 

[OMB]

TikTok responds to Pakistan suspension

We continue to work with regulators, and look forward to serving the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan, says TikTok.
The SHC had ordered to suspend the video-sharing app TikTok across Pakistan till July 8.
TikTok says it is working diligently to review and take action on content in violation of our Community Guidelines.

KARACHI: Tiktok has responded to the Sindh High Court's (SHC) order suspending the app across Pakistan Thursday, saying that it is working with authorities.

SHC orders suspension of TikTok in Pakistan
The SHC had, earlier this week, ordered to suspend the video-sharing app TikTok across Pakistan till July 8, nearly three months after the country had lifted a ban imposed on it.

"The creativity and passion of our community has brought joy to households across Pakistan and provided a home for incredibly talented creators," said TikTok in a statement.

"We have grown our local-language moderation capacity for Pakistan, and work diligently to review and take action on content in violation of our Community Guidelines," it added.

"We continue to work with regulators, and look forward to serving the millions of TikTok users and creators in Pakistan who have found a home for creativity, fun and vital economic opportunities for many years to come," concluded the video-sharing app.

The ruling had come after the petitioner had stated in the SHC that the Peshawar High Court had earlier banned TikTok as some videos uploaded on the platform are "immoral and against the teachings of Islam."

The lawyer had said his client had approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) before moving the court, however, the PTA did not do anything in this regard.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/357885-tiktok-responds-to-pakistan-suspension

 

[OMB]

Bilawal calls news of TikTok star Hareem Shah marrying a PPP leader 'rumours'

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, too, has denied media reports of TikTok star Hareem Shah tying the knot with a Sindh provincial minister from the PPP. He says its all a "conspiracy to divert attention from [other] problems".

The TikTok star recently announced that she had married a PPP lawmaker, but did not disclose his identity.

Geo News approached Bilawal to get his thoughts on the controversy after a press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad.

Bilawal was asked who the PPP provincial minister married to Shah is.

But he said it was a rumour. "These are all rumours being spread to divert attention from [other] problems. No such thing has happened.”

Bilawal said that such rumours have no value.

Earlier, Sindh IT Minister Taimur Talpur had denied reports of being TikTok star Hareem Shah's mysterious husband from the PPP.

The internet sensation had confirmed the news of her marriage to Geo.tv but kept details about her husband under wraps, saying she would soon unveil details about the wedding and her partner to her fans.

Talpur had called news of Shah's mysterious PPP husband a "publicity stunt".

The rumours spread as the Sindh IT minister wears a Rolex watch which was also seen in a picture shared by the TikTok star showing the hands of a man and woman on her Instagram earlier.

The picture had sparked rumours of an engagement. It was later deleted.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/357879-bilawal-calls-news-of-hareem-shah-marrying-a-ppp-leader-rumours

 

[saeedhk]

This culture of moral policing, bans and false piety is the biggest impediment to FDI in Pakistan. The aim of most of Pakistan’s inhabitants is to find immorality. TT is immoral, films are immoral, ads with women are immoral, women exercising on TV is immoral, women marching for rights is immoral, women marrying a spouse of their choice is immoral and proposing in public is immoral. We are stuck in dark ages.

 

[King_Kohli]

President of Pakistan Arif Alvi is now on TikTok

The President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has joined the popular video-sharing platform TikTok, he confirmed via his official Instagram account.

The president uploaded a video of himself on Twitter to make the announcement and wrote that the purpose of him joining the app is to spread the message of positivity among the youth of Pakistan.

"To spread the message of positivity & motivation for the youth of Pakistan, we will keep pushing inspiring videos for the TikTok users," he wrote.

It should be recalled that earlier this month, the Sindh High Court had suspended the app. The decision was later reversed.

During the hearing, the petitioner's lawyer seeking a ban on the app had said that the Peshawar High Court had earlier banned TikTok too as some videos uploaded on the platform are "immoral and against the teachings of Islam."

The lawyer had said his client had approached the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) before moving the court, however, the PTA did not do anything in this regard.

Fawad slam ban
After the SHC ban on the app, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had lashed out at the verdict banning TikTok across Pakistan till July 8, terming it "judicial activism".

Taking to Twitter, Chaudhry had warned of consequences Pakistan will face in case it did not carry out judicial reforms.

"Pakistan will never come out of its economic crisis if judicial reforms are not undertaken," he had said on Twitter.

"I'm baffled after reading yesterday's verdicts on suspension of TikTok and the removal of the NBP president, and can't help but wonder: what are our courts doing?" asked the information minister.

Chaudhry had noted that Pakistan, already, was suffering from losses worth billions of dollars due to "judicial activism".

https://www.geo.tv/latest/360438-president-of-pakistan-arif-alvi-is-now-on-tiktok

 

[Major]

For our overseas breathern who have no idea what is happening in the country:

Ticktock doesnt get banned for immoral content. There is an app called snack video which is pakistani made and is a competitor, it also provides same entertainment.

They basically sue ticktock than let it get banned and end up stealing their followers.

 

[MenInG]

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on Wednesday announced it had blocked ByteDance's video-sharing platform TikTok in the country over "inappropriate content".

"In the light of relevant provisions of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, PTA has blocked access to TikTok App and website in the country," the telecom regulator said.

"The action has been taken due to continuous presence of inappropriate content on the platform and its failure to take such content down," the telecommunication authority added.

This is the fourth time that the government has interrupted — blocked or suspended — TikTok's services in the country due to the content shared on the platform.

PTA Spokesperson Khurram Mehran told Geo.tv that the video-sharing app was asked multiple times about the "inappropriate content" being posted online, but no action was taken.

"The app was blocked after which the competent authority had issued directives in this regard," he added.

The development comes nearly three weeks after the Sindh High Court (SHC) had withdrawn the suspension on TikTok services.

The SHC had on June 28 ordered the PTA to suspend the services of the video-sharing site on a citizen's petition, who was aggrieved by the "immorality and obscenity" on the mobile app.

It is pertinent to mention here that President Arif Alvi had joined the popular video-sharing platform last week, he had confirmed via his official Instagram account.

The president had uploaded a video of himself on Twitter to make the announcement and wrote that the purpose of him joining the app is to spread the message of positivity among the youth of Pakistan.

GEO

 

[Firebat]

Justify ban on TikTok, IHC chief justice tells PTA

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to formulate a mechanism regarding the operations of video-sharing app Tiktok in Pakistan and consult the federal government, rather than take a unilateral decision to ban the app.

"The PTA should never have banned Tiktok without consulting the federal government," it observed, also asking the PTA: "What authority do you have to completely ban the app?"

The case, against the suspension of the app, was heard by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minhallah.

Justice Minallah asked the PTA counsel to provide a reason for banning TikTok, adding that "if banning TikTok is the only solution, then Google should be banned too".

The PTA lawyer responded by saying that the Peshawar and Sindh High Courts had issued orders to ban the app and formulate a mechanism to stop inappropriate content from circulating on the app.

At this, the chief justice asked the counsel to read out the orders of the high courts. He then pointed out that neither court had ordered that the app be completely banned in the country.

"Such videos are circulated on YouTube as well. Will you shut down YouTube too?" Justice Minallah asked.

He said PTA should instead "guide people not to watch inappropriate content".

"Apps are a means of livelihood and entertainment for people," the chief justice added.

Justice MinaAllah said that the PTA had "misused the orders" from both courts and demanded to know if the actual orders, which pertained to developing a mechanism, had even be followed. "You were asked to develop a mechanism. Did you make one?"

The chief justice further asked why other social media apps had not then been banned based on the grounds Tiktok was banned.

To this, the PTA lawyer responded by saying that for other apps, content based on what people search for becomes visible, whereas on Tiktok, the content is displayed without user input.

"What does the PTA want? Does it wish to do moral policing?" the chief justice went on to ask.

The court asked the PTA counsel to stop focusing on only negative things and also consider the positive aspects, as social media apps have numerous benefits.

It asked the PTA to "satisfy the court" whether it had ever conducted research into the benefits and drawbacks of Tiktok.

It further asked PTA to innumerate which countries have banned the app and for what reasons.

The PTA counsel, in response, said that he does not know about present day, but does know that the app was banned at some point in India and Indonesia.

"The app was banned in India for security reasons," the lawyer said.

Justice Minallah corrected him by saying that the app was banned in India because it is a Chinese app, not for security reasons.

"Is PTA siding with India now?" he asked the PTA lawyer.

The chief justice also asked the PTA counsel to inform the court under which act the authority had banned Tiktok.

The PTA lawyer said that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) was invoked for the purpose.

"If that is the case, then PECA applies to all apps. Which app out there does not have some content that is objectionable?"

Justice Minallah then asked if PTA does ban Tiktok, "can it cut off Pakistan from the rest of the world?"

The PTA counsel said that would not be possible, adding that the app was barred from operating as the company was "not cooperating" with them.

"You must change your mindset and be prepared for the future. You must not regress. You live in a digital world," the court remarked.

The PTA lawyer said that the authority "has not permanently banned Tiktok".

"We have simply asked that the company work with us to develop a mechanism," he said, adding that the PTA will develop a mechanism for all apps in time.

At this, the court asked: "So will you then shut down other apps too?"

'Ban must be lifted'

Meanwhile, the lawyer for the complainant requested the court that the press release under which PTA had announced the suspension of the app be rendered ineffective.

"The court must ask PTA to lift this ban," the lawyer added.

The hearing was adjourned till August 23.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/363805-justify-ban-on-tiktok-ihc-chief-justice-tells-pta

 

[MenInG]

Former cricket star Shahid Afridi has demanded singer-cum-social activist Shehzad Roy raises his voice to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok, once and for all.

The cricket star expressed his despise towards the app while sharing the screen with the singer during a private TV show and stressed banning it once and for all instead of repeatedly banning and un-banning it.

“You raise your voice for every issue, so you should get TikTok banned,” said Afridi while addressing Roy.

Permitting and then restricting the use of the app, again and again, is not an option, he said.

He declared TikTok a "major social issue" and said that people must have "appropriate awareness and knowledge about certain things."

“Many areas in our country don’t have the facility of education but yet, they have the facility of Wifi for which the people were supposed to have an awareness,” said Afridi.

He further stated that people don’t know that why and in what way they should use the app, and how much time they should spend on using it.

According to Afridi, age should be defined for the use of mobile phones.

“My daughter has just turned 19 years old and I have allowed her to use the phone now,” said the Boom Boom star.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the federal cabinet to take up the matter pertaining to the ban on video-sharing social media app TikTok.

The social media platform, where users can post and share short videos, was banned by the PTA on July 21, over its failure to remove 'inappropriate content'.

The hearing was presided over by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. Maryam Farid appeared on behalf of the petitioner and Munawar Iqbal Dogar from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Deputy Attorney General Tayyab Shah appeared before the court on behalf of the federation.

The high court inquired from PTA's lawyer whether the app was being currently used across the country.

“About 99% of the people are using the app in the country through a proxy,” the PTA counsel replied.

To this, the court questioned why was the authority so adamant about banning the app if they can not beat technology and also asked why does the PTA want to cut the country off from the world.

The court also inquired whether PTA had been asked to take policy direction from the government over the matter.

“Has the government given any policy?” the court inquired. “The PTA should take instructions from the federal cabinet. Why didn't the PTA seek policy instructions from the federal cabinet on court orders?”

On August 7, Justice Minallah said, in his interim order, that after reading the court verdicts, it had become clear that they did not call for a ban on the video-sharing application TikTok.

According to Express, Justice Minallah issued a six-page interim order on the petition against the ban on TikTok which also mentioned a report submitted by PTA in the Sindh High Court (SHC) wherein the authority revealed that the ban on the social media platform was due to objectionable content by one per cent of its users.

The report by PTA further stated that the content of the other 99 per cent of the user base was non-objectionable.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the government to submit a report about its policy on banning the video-sharing app TikTok on September 20, The News reported Sunday.

In the four-page written order, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed the PTA to get information from the prime minister and the federal cabinet regarding policy to ban TikTok and submit a report on it in the court on the designated date.

The court order stated that PTA could not present any appropriate justification regarding the ban on TikTok. The counsel for PTA told the court that the issue of a ban on TikTok was not placed before the cabinet. He said that access to TikTok is also possible through other means of technology.

The court adjourned the hearing till September 20 after the deputy attorney general pleaded more time to submit a reply in this regard.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Chairman Amir Azeem Bajwa said on Monday the regulator was ready to lift the ban on TikTok app, provided that the platform removed obscene videos and close down the accounts of children.

Speaking at a media briefing at a local hotel in the federal capital, Bajwa said that the authority was not banning the social media but emphasised that those companies would have to comply with the Pakistani laws.

Extending a conditional offer to lift the ban on TikTok, the PTA chairman asked the platform to close the accounts of children and those who uploaded obscene videos and give assurances that it would not happen again.

TikTok has been blocked four times in the past due to substandard videos, but we are not happy to close anyone.” he said. “The TikTok administration should delete the accounts of children and those who repeatedly upload pornographic videos,” he added.

He acknowledged that TikTok could not block anyone’s video from being uploaded but added: “We say that remove them [objectionable contents] within reasonable time after the uploading and block the repeated uploaders.”

Bajwa also stressed the need for checking the procedure TikTok had adopted for children. He warned that the agencies concerned had been asked to catch those who shared immoral videos on the social media, “whether he is a TikToker or any ordinary citizen”.

He said that the PTA had taken notice of hidden charges imposed by the mobile companies on various packages. “We have clear and written instructions that no value-added services can be applied without user’s permission,” he added.

The PTA chairman also said that after the new rules, social media companies would not have to leave Pakistan. However, he stressed that the companies would have to follow the “ethics of our society”.

He said that consumers or investors should contact the PTA immediately if they have any complaints.
Bajwa pointed out the recent auction of unused spectrum. He said that Ufone made successful bid of $27.9 million. PTA Director General Commercial Affairs Dr Muhammad Arif Sargana added that investment in telecom sector was increasing every year.

“Last year, more than $1 billion was invested by all telecom operators. The number of cellular mobile phone users in the country has reached 185 million. Last year, the teledensity in the country was 87.5% and the number of broadband subscribers was 10.44 million with 47.68% broadband penetration.”

 

[MenInG]

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) observed on Monday that banning the video-sharing application, TikTok, was a violation of the rights enshrined in the country's Constitution.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition challenging the ban, during which he told the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) that the platform was a source of income for thousands of lower income people. "By taking this decision the PTA is also discouraging talent," he added.

“Should we shut down every social media platform, since objectionable content is present on almost each and every one of them?” CJ Minallah asked. “Hate speech and pornography is not just on TikTok. This matter should be handled in a professional manner. A society's values should be strong enough for people to not watch something wrong,” the judge added.

Justice Minallah remarked that these are the challenges of advanced technology. "Do we want to be cut off from the rest of the world?" he further asked.

“Why did you cite India's example? What other country is the app banned in except India?” the judge asked the PTA authorities.

“What could be more surprising than the PTA not even knowing who the social media experts are in the country? If banning is the only way to go then it must be implemented across all platforms,” he added.

The court further remarked that as per the PTA's affidavits submitted with the Peshawar and Sindh high courts only one per cent of the content on TikTok was objectionable. The PTA filed the report but there was no response to the court's directive, the high court added.

The court observed that the attorney general had told the court that he would consult with the stakeholders. The court also asked whether a social media expert was consulted before the decision to block the video-sharing app was taken.

“The federal government and PTA should submit the names of social media experts to the court. Keeping all things in consideration, blocking the platform is a violation of rights enshrined in the Constitution. The PTA should satisfy the court in the next hearing,”

The court adjourned the hearing till November 22.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has restored the services of TikTok on assurances of the platform to control immoral/indecent content.

Subsequent to imposition of ban on 20 July 2021, PTA remained in communications with the TikTok management.

 

[Hassaan HS]

Teenage TikTokers held for killing a citizen in Karachi

KARACHI:


The adventurism of TikTokers cost a citizen his life in Karachi. The suspects involved in the shooting of a citizen in Malir City a few days ago were arrested on Thursday.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspects are TikTokers and they opened fire for adventure (thrill). The weapon and a motorcycle used in the incident were also recovered from their possession. Further investigation into the incident was underway.

On 23rd December, a citizen named Qamar Raza was severely injured in a firing incident at Ghazi Chowk area of Malir City and died during treatment. The CCTV footage of the incident showed four suspects on two motorcycles. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.SSP Malir Irfan Bahadur said that two suspects were arrested yesterday who are between 14 and 15 years of age. In the preliminary investigation, the suspects disclosed that they had fired for adventure (thrill). Qamar Raza was standing on the road outside his house at the time of the incident and the bullet hit him in the stomach.

The SSP said that the suspects have also been identified through the CCTV footage. Weapons and a motorcycle used in the incident have also been recovered from the possession.

Raids are being carried out at various places in search of their other two accomplices. The arrested suspects are also under further investigation during which more revelations are expected.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2336379/teenage-tiktokers-held-for-killing-a-citizen-in-karachi

 

[MenInG]

A teenage girl was shot dead while making a TikTok video in Hyderabad, Geo News reported on Friday.

According to the police, the incident occurred Thursday night at Hyderabad's Talab No 3 neighbourhood, where 14-year-old Anam Solangi sustained critical injuries.

The girl was taken to a hospital, but died during treatment, said the police, sharing that according to the preliminary investigation, the teenager was shot dead while making a TikTok video.

Further investigation, however, is under way.

Not the first time

This is not the first time a life has been lost due to the surging TikTok culture in the country.

In December last year, police arrested two teenage TikTokers in Karachi, on the charge of accidentally killing a man while filming a video in Malir City.

Fazil Ali and Saeed Ahmed were said to be between 14 and 15 years of age. Police said the TikTokers had shot a man, Qamar Raza, while he was standing outside his residence near Ghazi Chowk within the jurisdiction of the Malir City Police Station on December 23. Raza was shot once in his abdomen and died the following day during treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

According to District Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur, police had conducted a raid on technical grounds, apprehended the two, and recovered the weapon and a motorcycle used in the incident. He said the boys had disclosed the names of their two accomplices during the interrogation, and raids were being carried out to arrest them.

Statement from TikTok

After the December 2021 incident, the spokesperson for TikTok released a statement which noted:

"The safety of our community is our top priority and we do not tolerate any dangerous acts, hate speech, or hateful behaviour. TikTok has zero tolerance for firearms and we do not allow any content that depicts acts of violence."

GEO

 

[MenInG]

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday said that inappropriate content on video-sharing platform TikTok was affecting the country’s youth morally, saying those sharing the content should be blocked forthwith.

The remarks were made in a written order pertaining to “immoral” content on TikTok after hearing a plea in this regard, Express News reported.

The written order further stated that the court had directed the relevant officials to prevent such content from appearing online, saying the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had reported removing 289,353,4 videos and blocking 146,561,3 accounts.

"It has been brought to our notice that action is being taken against those sharing inappropriate content," the court observed. It added the culprits were not punished despite being blocked, so they committed the crime again.

The court felicitated the steps being taken by the PTA to remove immoral content from TikTok, but urged it to continue the exercise and immediately block those sharing it.

The court further advised devising a strategy so that accounts repeatedly violating the orders may be blocked in future.

Adjourning the hearing, the court sought a report from the authority regarding the progress in the case.

In April last year, the PTA issued instructions to the internet service providers to lift the ban on the app on PHC directives, directing to ensure non-access to unethical and objectionable material keeping in view the provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

Later in September, TikTok termed Pakistan an important market, saying they were constantly in touch with the PTA to come up with workable solutions.