ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Authorities in Pakistan said they would lift a ban on TikTok after the Chinese-owned video-sharing app agreed to take down content they deemed vulgar, indecent and immoral.
The South Asian country had blocked TikTok earlier this month, which was particularly embarrassing for China because Pakistan is a close ally. Investors in ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, are concerned about the app losing access to multiple markets.
TikTok is facing a ban in the U.S. in November if the company doesn’t seal a deal with Oracle Corp. intended to safeguard the data of U.S. users. India banned the app in June along with dozens of others from China, citing cybersecurity concerns.
Islamabad is primarily concerned about nudity on the platform, officials say. Pakistani officials said Monday that TikTok had tightened its screening to automatically block content that Pakistan deemed offensive.
“We’re pleased to see that the TikTok app has been restored in Pakistan and that we will be able to continue working to enable Pakistani voices and creativity in a safe environment,” said a TikTok spokesperson. Its officials have said in the past that its technology weeded out racy content, including nudity.
