Pakistan's government has continued cracking down on internet freedoms within the country with the apparent banning of social media app Bluesky. This move comes as VPN usage is being restricted in the country, although it is unclear at this stage as to how the best VPN services will be affected.
Data from internet watchdog NetBlocks showed restrictions hit Bluesky overnight between November 19 and 20, with users reporting issues accessing the app.
⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show social media platform Bluesky, a popular X alternative, has been restricted in Pakistan, corroborating user reports of issues accessing the service; Pakistan has imposed a growing number of social media platform bans and is also targeting VPN services pic.twitter.com/Lt6vvyKnVINovember 20, 2024
Bluesky has seen a significant spike in usage over the last few weeks, as users of the app reach 20 million – and continue to grow. Bluesky is widely seen as an alternative and replacement to social media app X (formerly Twitter), and was developed by Twitter co-founder and former CEO, Jack Dorsey.
X has been banned in Pakistan since February, with the app only accessible via a VPN. VPNs are currently under fire in the country, as the government looks to crackdown on their use – declaring them "un-Islamic."
Despite wanting to ban VPNs, government officials continue to use them. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has regularly posted on X, and can only be using a VPN to do so.
Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives due to the dengue outbreak in Bangladesh. Pakistan stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh at this difficult time and we stand ready to assist in whatever way we can.@ChiefAdviserGoBNovember 18, 2024
The restrictions keep coming
This is another worrying moment for internet freedoms in Pakistan. The government and Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has already begun restricting VPNs, announcing all VPNs must be registered with the PTA by November 30.
The PTA has said VPNs can only be used for commercial purposes by entities such as businesses, banks, and embassies. Individual use is allowed, but only freelancers working for one of these entities.
IP addresses must be provided when registering, meaning all registered VPNs can be monitored and tracked, providing no privacy to the user.
What's next?
At this stage, VPNs appear to still be working in Pakistan but the situation could change quickly. At the beginning of November, Pakistan experienced a VPN outage, with many VPN servers affected and users unable to connect. At the time, the government blamed a technical glitch but this could be a sign of things to come.
VPNs can be used to bypass restrictions and access content that is blocked in Pakistan, or any country worldwide. Users still wishing to access Bluesky can do so via a VPN. With the nature of VPNs in the country uncertain, signing up to one of the best free VPNs may be your best bet.
The top free VPNs offer good levels of privacy, fast speeds, and a decent enough spread of server locations for most people's needs. Signing up to a free VPN will mean if there are any further restrictions, you won't lose any money and can hop between a range of VPN providers.
For those looking to go one step further, using an anonymous browser such as Tor offers another layer of protection. Tor grants anonymity through its encrypted Onion Network and enables anonymous communication and surveillance protection.
