Pakistan’s telecom watchdog on Tuesday blocked five online dating and live streaming applications, including Tinder, for allegedly showing “immoral” content.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said in a statement that the action was taken against Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi after they failed to take down the improper material.
It said that the apps were asked to remove “dating services” and moderate live streaming content “in accordance with the local laws of Pakistan” but they ignored the warning.
“Since the platforms did not respond to the notices within the stipulated time, therefore, the authority issued orders for blocking of the said applications,” the regulator said.
However, the PTA said it would reconsider blocking of the apps if their companies committed to follow the laws of the country and moderated the “indecent” content.
The PTA regularly takes action against sites for showing “immoral” content. It also takes action on complaints by the public against apps and websites. Two month ago, it banned live streaming application Bigo and issued a “final warning” to TikTok.