TikTok Removes Six Million Videos Over "Indecent" Content in Pakistan After Bans

TikTok said around 15 percent of the removed videos were "adult nudity and sexual activities."

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 2 July 2021 14:10 IST
Highlights
  • Around 15 percent of removed videos were adult nudity and sexual activity
  • Videos were banned as a result of both user and government requests
  • Posting videos in Western clothes that reveal skin is taboo in Pakistan

Small anti-TikTok rallies were held against what protesters called the spreading of homosexual content

More than six million videos were removed from TikTok in Pakistan in three months, the app said on Wednesday, as it battles an on-off ban in the deeply conservative country. 

Wildly popular among Pakistani youth, the Chinese-owned app has been shut down by authorities twice over "indecent" content, most recently in March after which the company pledged to moderate uploads. 

"In the Pakistani market, TikTok removed 6,495,992 videos making it the second market to get the most videos removed after the USA, where 8,540,088 videos were removed," TikTok Pakistan's latest transparency report said on Wednesday, covering January to March.

Advertisement

Around 15 percent of the removed videos were "adult nudity and sexual activities".

Advertisement

A spokesman said the Pakistan-made videos were banned as a result of both user and government requests.

In the Muslim nation, posting videos in Western clothes that reveal too much skin is taboo, and is often met with abuse. 

Advertisement

Earlier this month, small anti-TikTok rallies were held against what protesters called the spreading of homosexual content.

"One can speculate that this is a result of government pressure or a reflection of the large volume of content produced in Pakistan given the popularity of the platform, or both," said digital rights activist Nighat Dad.

Advertisement

"Social media platforms are more willing to remove and block content in Pakistan to evade complete bans," she said.

It comes as the app faces a fresh court battle in the port city of Karachi, where a judge has asked telecommunication authorities to suspend it for spreading "immoral content". The platform is still working in Pakistan, however.

Freedom of speech advocates have long criticised the creeping government censorship and control of Pakistan's internet and media.

Dating apps have been blocked and last year Pakistani regulators had asked YouTube to immediately block all videos they considered "objectionable" from being accessed in the country, a demand criticised by rights campaigners.


We discuss the return of PUBG Mobile, sorry, Battlegrounds Mobile India on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: TikTok, ByteDance
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. These Samsung Phones Will Get Price Drops Ahead of Festive Season
  2. Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2025: Check Early Deals on Tablets
  3. Nothing Ear 3 With 'Super Mic' Feature, Up to 45dB ANC Launched: See Price
  4. Xiaomi Announces Offers on These Products Ahead of Amazon, Flipkart Sales
  5. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Deal Revealed Ahead of Amazon GIF Sale
  1. Astronomers Reveal Sudden Explosion of Small Asteroid Over France
  2. Rare ‘Crescent Sunrise’ Solar Eclipse to Grace Skies Over Antarctica and New Zealand
  3. Sun Shows Signs of Rising Activity Following Decades of Weakening, Study Finds
  4. IMAP Space Weather Mission to Lift Off Soon, NASA Confirms Broadcast Plans
  5. Microsoft's Xbox Full-Screen Experience Leaks on Other Windows Handhelds Ahead of ROG Xbox Ally Debut
  6. Cellecor Comet CBS-05 Pro Bluetooth Speaker Launched in India: Price, Features
  7. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy A55 5G and More to Go on Sale With Discounts During Festive Season
  8. Coinbase Urges US DOJ Action as SEC Mulls Dropping Lawsuit Against Crypto Exchange
  9. Vivo V60 Lite 4G Design, Specifications Leaked; Tipped to Launch With Snapdragon 685 SoC, 6,500mAh Battery
  10. Nothing Ear 3 Launched With Super Mic Feature, Up to 45dB Active Noise Cancellation: Price, Features
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.