ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has degraded Wikipedia services in the country on account of not blocking/removing sacrilegious contents.

The Authority stated that Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law and court order(s). An opportunity of hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the Authority.

Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of the PTA, the services of Wikipedia have been degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported contents. In case of non-compliance by Wikipedia the platform will be blocked within Pakistan.

The restoration of the services of Wikipedia will be reconsidered subject to blocking/removal of the reported unlawful contents.

The PTA is committed to ensuring a safe online experience for all Pakistani citizens according to local laws.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023