As Social Media Goes Dark, Mysterious Obstacles Hinder Access to YouTube and Twitter.

Pakistanis are still having trouble accessing social media platforms despite the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority stating that services would be restored. Reports show that users are having difficulties connecting to platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and many can only do so by using a Virtual Private Network. The government blocked mobile broadband and social media websites last Tuesday after Imran Khan’s arrest sparked unrest in the country. The internet outage is costing Pakistan up to $53m each day. Still, on Friday, a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority official said broadband services were being restored, and instructions to unblock social media websites were expected soon. Internet censorship has become common in the country in recent decades, even under Khan’s government. However, the citizens have adapted quickly, using Virtual Private Networks to disguise their locations to access restricted content. Despite the ongoing ban, Twitter remained active in the country. The outage has affected many economic transactions, including credit and debit card point-of-sale terminals, as mobile data coverage powers them.

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