Pakistan has reportedly blocked Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter amid a broader crackdown on protests.
The blockages come after six people died and 200 others were injured after authorities attempted to clear Islamist protests from highways near the capital of Islamabad, according to the Associated Press.
Pakistan also instituted a media blackout, with many of its major TV stations going off the air.
We are aware of reports that the Pakistani government has taken action to block Twitter service, as well as other social media services, and that users are having difficulty using Twitter in Pakistan. We are monitoring the situation and hope service will be fully restored soon.
— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) November 25, 2017
Twitter publicly confirmed that Pakistan had blocked its service. Facebook and YouTube have yet to make a public comment and did not immediately respond to media inquiries.
The block triggered a reaction on Twitter, with many journalists in the region drawing attention to Pakistan's actions. Some people reported being able to use services through Virtual Private Networks, which can work around regional blocks.
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion blocked in #Pakistan as govt tries to block communication for religious protesters & everyone else
— Gibran Ashraf (@GibranAshraf) November 25, 2017
Twitter and Facebook are not accessible in Pakistan on at least two ISPs. Currently tweeting using a VPN.
— Umer Ali (@IamUmer1) November 25, 2017
Twitter and Facebook shut-down in Pakistan.
Internet and mobile services to be closed down soon.
I guess we will be back to using landlines like in the 80s.— Sabena Siddiqi (@sabena_siddiqi) November 25, 2017
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