According to Pakistan’s telecom regulator, the popular TikTok video-sharing app was stopped in Pakistan Wednesday due to “inappropriate material”.
The chinese-owned website has been involved in a number of legal battles against religious activists and authorities from the conservative Muslim nation. It was closed for two days earlier this year on the orders of a provincial court.
Freedom of speech advocates has long criticized the government’s creeping censorship and control over Pakistan’s internet.
“The telecoms authority stated in a statement that the action was taken because of the continued presence of inappropriate content and its failure to take down such content.”
An official from TikTok did not respond immediately.
It has a large fan base in Pakistan where it is used to sell and market goods online.
However, its critics in the conservative Muslim nation claim it encourages vulgarity as well as LGBTQ content.
After receiving complaints from ordinary users and officials, TikTok claimed it had removed over six million videos that were available for Pakistani users within three months.
According to the company, around 15% of the videos that were removed were due to “adult nudity or sexual activities”.
YouTube has been asked by officials to remove any content that they consider objectionable. Several dating apps are also prohibited.
