Consumer Ecosystems

Pakistan cracks down on OTT services

Pakistani authorities in the Sindh province are conducting a crackdown on OTT services based on security concerns.

Skype, WhatsApp and Viber have all been banned for a three month period.

It is currently unclear whether the ban is part of a national policy that will be extended to the country’s other three provinces, or indeed if the ban can be enforced.

Provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon neglected to explain specifically how the shutdown of OTT services would affect security, although it is believed that militants in the country use instant messaging and telephony services to coordinate attacks.

Pakistan is not the first country to take issue with OTT services for security reasons – Saudi Arabia has banned Viber and may well block similar services, although the legal basis for these threats is somewhat murky.

 



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