Pakistan Social Media Content Removal Requests Get Only 23.7% Compliance

Social media platforms have complied with only 23.7% of content removal requests submitted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), according to a written response from the Ministry of Interior presented to the National Assembly.

The figures highlight the continuing challenges faced by Pakistani authorities in getting online platforms to remove content that officials consider problematic, sensitive, anti-state or related to security concerns.

At the same time, requests connected specifically to counter-terrorism recorded a higher compliance rate of around 47%.

Facebook Shows Higher Compliance Than X and YouTube

The response provided different compliance rates for major social media platforms.

According to the figures:

• Facebook: 38.1%
• X: 7.4%
• YouTube: 1.9%
• PTA requests overall: 23.7%
• Counter-terrorism requests: Around 47%

These numbers indicate that platforms do not respond to every request in the same way. The reasons behind individual decisions were not fully detailed in the parliamentary response.

The government has also said that social media companies have not yet fully adopted regulations issued by the PTA.

Punjab Accounts for 97.7% of Anti-State Requests

Another notable figure concerns requests involving content described by authorities as anti-state or anti-government.

According to the Interior Ministry's response, Punjab accounted for 97.7% of requests in this category.

Importantly, this percentage refers to the share of requests submitted by the Punjab government. It does not mean that 97.7% of anti-state content originated in Punjab.

The figures have added to the broader discussion around how governments define and report problematic online content and how technology companies evaluate government requests.

Pakistan Faces Shortage of Trained Online Analysts

The Interior Ministry also acknowledged gaps in Pakistan's ability to monitor online threats.

The government said there is currently no fully organised and integrated mechanism connecting federal and provincial institutions for dealing with online threats. It also pointed to a shortage of trained analysts and limited capacity within open-source intelligence units.

The response indicated that security and intelligence agencies do not currently have enough resources to maintain continuous monitoring of online activity.

These limitations can make it more difficult for authorities to identify potentially harmful content, assess its context and prepare requests for social media companies.

NACTA Requests More Than Rs2.98 Billion

The parliamentary response also included information about the funding requirements of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).

NACTA reportedly requested more than Rs2.98 billion for the 2026–27 financial year, while more than Rs1.33 billion had been released for the current year, according to the ministry's response.

The ministry described NACTA as a statutory body focused on counter-terrorism but clarified that it does not have arrest or direct law-enforcement powers.

The government has also indicated plans to transform NACTA into the National Counter Terrorism Division.

Why Content Removal Requests Are Difficult

A government request to remove online content does not automatically mean that a platform will take it down.

Social media companies generally assess reported material against their own policies, applicable laws and the circumstances described in a removal request. As a result, a platform may reject a request if its review determines that the content does not violate the relevant rules.

Recent reporting on Pakistan's situation also notes that the available government figures do not provide the total number of requests, the complete reporting period or detailed reasons for individual approvals and rejections.

This makes the percentages useful for understanding the overall picture, but they do not by themselves explain why particular requests were accepted or rejected.

What the Latest Figures Show

The latest figures reveal a significant gap between the number of content-removal requests submitted by Pakistani authorities and the number that social media platforms reportedly acted upon.

The 23.7% compliance rate for PTA requests is considerably lower than the roughly 47% rate reported for counter-terrorism requests. Platform-level figures also vary substantially, with Facebook reporting the highest rate among the three platforms listed, followed by X and YouTube.

The figures are likely to fuel further discussion about online safety, government regulation, platform accountability and the protection of legitimate online expression in Pakistan.

More detailed information about the number of requests, the legal basis for each request, the type of content involved and the reasons for platform decisions would provide a clearer picture of how Pakistan's content-removal system is operating.