Social media companies have not registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) despite being asked to comply with regulatory requirements in October 2021.
The PTA disclosed this in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court.
According to the report, the authority had asked social media companies in October 2021 to comply with Rule 7 of the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content Rules, 2021.
The requirements included registration with the PTA and appointing a local compliance and grievance officer. However, PTA said it has not received an affirmative response from the companies so far.
The authority said social media platforms are generally not licensed by the telecom regulator. Their services are hosted through over-the-top (OTT) platforms, while the companies operate under their own community guidelines and have systems for users and governments to report content.
PTA also noted that social media content and its availability can differ from one country to another, creating regulatory challenges.
It said platforms that are not registered with the PTA do not come directly under its control. However, the authority continues to engage with the companies and seek their cooperation on content-related issues.
PTA said its responsibilities include receiving complaints, reviewing reported unlawful online content and taking regulatory or technical action where permitted by law.
The authority further stated that the existing legal framework does not give it unrestricted power to set a minimum age for social media users or require age-verification systems without specific legal authority.
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