Pakistan has blocked five dating apps, including the world’s most widely used Tinder and Grindr, which users spend the most time online each month. Along with these two dating apps, Tagged, Skout and SayHi were also banned.
Pakistan’s top dating apps have been scrapped by the government, which views them as a source of indecent content
Together, these applications had more than a million users in the country. Tinder has been downloaded by more than 400,000 people in Pakistan in the past 12 months. Over the same period, Grindr, Tagged, and SayHi each had 300,000 downloads. Skout was now the choice of 100,000 people who wanted to meet other people.
The Pakistani Telecommunications Authority has informed the affected apps that they are blocked because they do not comply with local laws and because they are transmission vectors for immoral and indecent content. Additionally, she posted her decision on her Twitter account, where she did not mention how long the ban will last, although she has stated that if the companies concerned comply with local laws, she will reconsider her decision.
However, the laws of Pakistan (the second largest Muslim majority country) are in direct conflict with the purpose of the apps concerned, which is the case in all countries where LGTB groups are convicted. First, homosexual relationships are forbiddenwhat leaves Grindr out of the game. On the other hand, adultery is also a crime and the Pakistani authorities understand that dating apps encourage infidelity.
These apps weren’t the only ones banned by the Pakistani government. Google after seeing YouTube blocked in the country for three years, had to create a special version of the video portal Allow the Government of Pakistan to block content that is deemed inappropriate.
In addition, TikTok received a notification similar to that on dating apps. The Pakistani government claims that the Chinese social network is spreading immoral, obscene and vulgar content. Hence, it is possible that TikTok may go the same route as Tinder and Grindr.
