Dating apps in Pakistan have been a huge bridge for people looking to explore relationships and their sexuality. With the public space not being conducive to even the inter-mingling of different genders let alone budding relationships, dating apps have provided a means for it to people who aren’t able to exist in the mainstream. Well, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority just put a wrench in that machine.

Earlier this week there were rumors that PTA might have done something with Tinder in Pakistan

Many people were opining that Tinder had been banned because not many people were able to open the app in Pakistan.

There were jokes how about people being surprised that Tinder existed, in the first place

With everything that allows people the freedom of their personal expression being quickly banned, people were shocked and surprised to find out that Tinder was even allowed to be functional in Bannistan, oops I mean, Pakistan.

After hours of speculation, PTA has officially confirmed that it indeed banned Tinder in Pakistan

But this comes along with a ban on four other dating apps. These apps are Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi.

As expected, the reasoning given by PTA for banning Tinder and other dating apps in Pakistan is the “immoral/indecent content”

The notice by PTA says that the ban happened, “in view of negative effects of immoral/indecent content streaming through above applications, PTA issued notices to the management of above mentioned platforms for the purpose of removing dating services & moderate live streaming content in accordance with local laws of Pakistan.”

Interestingly, with there being no one universal definition of what morality is, it’s pretty easy to invoke morals as a garb of curbing free speech or expression. If only our courts actually helped facilitate people, someone could file a public interest litigation against such bans because obviously these bans are against the fundamental rights that are enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.

PTA has left the option to unban Tinder in Pakistan with a condition, however

If the apps “moderate” the “indecent/immoral” content on their platforms, PTA did say it was willing to reconsider blocking them. Well, at least the fact that they’re leaving a door open, in writing, for possibly the first time is a positive, I guess.

https://twitter.com/PTAofficialpk/status/1300778365507588098

Of course many people joked about how PTA moving to ban Tinder in Pakistan and not actual “immoral” stuff just goes to show where our authorities’ priorities lie

https://twitter.com/ArbazOmar/status/1300268444697481216

Many others had jokes about how Tinder was mostly useless in Pakistan anyway

https://twitter.com/theD_inDNA/status/1300127408364949505

Others had quite a few things to say about the strict censorship of relationships and dating in Pakistan

https://twitter.com/phatmisandrist/status/1300781391878254593

But honestly, this person knows the real reason why PTA banned Tinder in Pakistan

What are your thoughts on the ban on dating apps in Pakistan? Sound off in the comments below.