Pakistan’s internet regulator has blocked more than 1.54 million web links after reviewing complaints about online content, with almost nine out of every 10 reported URLs being restricted by July 2026.
According to data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s Web Analysis Division, the PTA processed complaints against 1,726,303 URLs. Of these, 1,542,800 were blocked, giving an overall blocking rate of 89.37 percent. Another 76,874 cases are still under review, while 106,629 complaints were rejected.
Most of the blocked content was linked to decency and morality concerns. The authority blocked 1,065,671 URLs in this category out of 1,075,762 cases reviewed, a blocking rate of more than 99 percent.
The “Others/Misc” category also accounted for a large share of restrictions, with 891,772 URLs blocked from 899,415 complaints received.
Among social media platforms, Facebook recorded the highest number of blocked links. The PTA restricted 230,270 Facebook URLs out of 287,362 processed complaints. TikTok followed with 170,231 blocked URLs, while X, formerly Twitter, saw 74,236 links blocked.
YouTube recorded the highest blocking rate among the major platforms, with 66,290 of 74,823 reported URLs restricted, representing 88.6 percent. WhatsApp had 50,165 URLs blocked, while Instagram recorded 45,510 blocked links. The regulator also restricted content on SnackVideo, Bigo/Likee and Dailymotion.
The figures also show extensive action against content related to terrorism, with 141,897 URLs blocked. The PTA also restricted 112,482 URLs categorised as being against the glory of Islam, 74,059 related to Pakistan’s security and defence, and 52,776 linked to sectarian or hate speech.
Other categories included proxy websites, where 10,318 of 10,319 reported URLs were blocked, reflecting the highest blocking rate at almost 100 percent. The authority also blocked content involving contempt of court, defamatory or impersonation complaints, and other miscellaneous violations.
The latest figures underline the scale of online content regulation in Pakistan, with the PTA blocking nearly 90 percent of all reported URLs by the end of July 2026.
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