Did the PTA illegally block YouTube during Imran Khan's speech? – Pakistan – DAWN.COM

It is now possible for the PTA to block applications and websites without instructing ISPs to do so. Usama Khilji Published September 2, 2022 Updated September 2, 2022 11:45am On Sunday, August 21, several internet users reported that they were unable to access video sharing site YouTube in Pakistan. This coincided with the timing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech regarding politically motivated cases registered against him as well as his party leadership, and the subsequent ban on live coverage of his speeches by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). The former premier and his supporters allege that YouTube was temporarily blocked in Pakistan to obstruct live-streaming on YouTube of Imran Khan’s speech. What the evidence says Apart from hundreds of social media users complaining about being unable to access YouTube, independent internet watchdog Netblocks ran network analysis tests in Pakistan through users which showed that YouTube was working for only 38 per cent of users who ran the test. This means that YouTube was accessible on only a few networks and not on others. Because the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not made any public comments to the media or on its website regarding the outage, we…
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