Pakistan grants first VPN licenses in a bid to regulate VPN usage in the country

A logo of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is seen on its headquarters building in Islamabad on August 16, 2024.

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• The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has granted the first licenses to three companies to provide VPN services
• The new framework comes as Pakistanis increasingly use VPNs to bypass the X ban and other internet restrictions
• The Authority now urges all VPN providers to obtain a license to avoid potential service disruptions