The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has formally registered the live-streaming platform BIGO LIVE and the short-video app Likee in Pakistan, bringing the two services under the country’s online content regulations.
Both platforms have been registered under Bigo Service Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, the local company associated with the apps, according to an announcement by the regulator on Wednesday.
The registration was carried out under the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2021, which require major social media companies operating in Pakistan to register with the PTA.
The authority said it hoped to strengthen cooperation with BIGO on content moderation, responsible use of the platforms and compliance with Pakistani laws.
BIGO LIVE was previously blocked by the PTA in July 2020 after complaints about allegedly obscene and inappropriate content on the platform.
PTA announced the ban on 20 July 2020.
It was lifted on 30 July, following a meeting between PTA officials and representatives of the company, during which BIGO outlined measures to moderate content. The ban lasted around nine days.
However, there is no comparable record of a nationwide PTA ban on Likee in the sources reviewed.
The two apps should therefore not be described as having both been banned.
Registration gives the PTA a formal channel for dealing with the company over complaints, content moderation and requests to remove material considered unlawful under Pakistani law.
The regulator described the move as part of its efforts to work with major social media platforms and promote a safer online environment.
The announcement does not mean that the apps have only now become available in Pakistan.
BIGO LIVE’s earlier ban was lifted in 2020, while both platforms had previously been registered through the same local company in January 2022, according to earlier reports.
The latest announcement signals renewed engagement between the regulator and the company over the platforms’ operations in Pakistan.
