Youth using TikTok like addiction, says PHC in detailed judgment

• Many TikTok videos are obscene, immoral, and contrary to tradition, says PHC
• There is no procedure to review videos on TikTok, court says
• DGPTA says cannot censor, filter, or remove videos from TikTok

The Peshawar High Court has remarked the country's youth was using the video-sharing platform like an addiction, as it released a detailed judgment on Tuesday.

In the judgment, the court said the ban on the app would not be lifted until it censors "immoral content" on the platform. "The young generation is using TikTok as an addiction. Many videos on TikTok are obscene, immoral, and contrary to tradition."

There is no procedure to review videos on TikTok, the court said, as the platform maintains that it imposes "penalties, including removing videos and banning accounts when there are violations".

The Director-General Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), during the hearing of the case, said TikTok has its office is in Singapore and it has none in Pakistan.

"It is not in our power to censor, filter, or remove videos from here," the DGPTA said, according to the detailed judgment.

He said PTA had repeatedly tried to contact TikTok, however, it could not get the desired results. "The only solution is to ban or shut it down."

The PHC, on March 11, ordered Pakistani authorities to immediately ban the video-sharing platform in the country, following which PTA asked service providers to block it.

The orders were issued by PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan. During the hearing, the PHC CJ observed that videos uploaded on TikTok are "not acceptable for the Pakistani society”. He added that the people that were mostly affected by TikTok were the youth.