Islamabad (Gulf Inside) PTA, the Internet regulatory body in Pakistan, has decided not to open a PUBG video game in the country until the game company sets a minimum age of 20 years for the player and lowers the violence. Her fate will also be decided in the final talks in the next few weeks with the focal person of the social media app TikTok.
This was stated by Nisar Ahmed, DG Cyber Vigilance, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in an exclusive interview with News Paper. Earlier on Monday, the PTA had decided to immediately shut down the social media app Bego for immoral content while TikTok had been given a final warning.
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DG PTA said that 90% of the content on TikTok is unethical and parents are constantly complaining to the PTA that their children are getting worse.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue with the TikTok administration and identified a number of accounts from which pornographic and immoral content was being shared. In addition, the PTA had asked the TikTok administration to come up with a mechanism to prevent such immoral videos from playing, at least in Pakistan, but no concrete steps were taken despite the administration’s assurances.
Even the head of TikTok head assured that Pakistan’s concerns would be taken into consideration and a team would be sent to Pakistan but that did not happen.
Nisar Ahmed clearly said, “Now we have said that if you have to do something, do it or we will have to ban TikTok.
In reply of a question asked whether any action had been taken on the PTA’s request for action regarding the accounts of TikTok star Hareem Shah and Sandal Khattak, DG Vigilance said they did not remember the account details along with their names.
In reply of a question asked when the final decision on TikTok would be taken, Nisar Ahmed said that the TikTok administration had appointed a Pakistani person as the focal person for the content. We will talk to him in the next few weeks and if he makes a plan that satisfies the PTA, then it will be a matter, otherwise the app will have to be closed.
“We will not accept entertainment at the expense of our traditions and values.” He was hopeful that TikTok would be forced to obey Pakistan as its market has shrunk further after the ban in the US and India.
On the other hand, on the issue of ban on PUBG game, DG PTA said that there is no possibility of lifting the ban immediately. “We have two conditions. The first is that PUBG should not be made accessible to children and only people 20 years of age or older can play it who can decide their own good or bad. Secondly, it should reduce the amount of violence in order to eliminate the trend of violence in society.
Until these two conditions are met, there is no possibility of PUBG opening in Pakistan. Explaining his decision, he said that PUBG and similar games are having a huge negative impact on the new generation and they are suffering from violence and negligence. We have parents who have even said that their children are doing exactly the same thing that ‘powder’ or ‘drug addicts’ do.
Nisar Ahmed said that the PTA was in talks with PubG anyway.
Referring to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms, he said that talks were also underway with Pakistan’s Twitter and Facebook.
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