Pakistan has restored X access after a 15-month ban – here's everything we know so far

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After fifteen months, the social media platform can be accessed without a VPN

Twitter social media application change logo to X. Elon Musk CEO of twitter rebranded Twitter to 'X'. Social media application technology concept.
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  • Pakistan restored access to X across the country on May 7, 2025
  • Since February 2024, people in Pakistan haven't had access to X without a VPN service
  • The ban was enforced after it was "used to draw attention to instances of alleged election fraud."

Pakistan has restored access to X across the country after a 15-month-long ban.

Restored on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, authorities blocked access to the popular social media platform back in February 2024. The blockage forced citizens to turn to the best VPN service to keep accessing the app.

No more need for Pakistan VPN to use X

"Metrics show access to X (formerly Twitter) has been restored in Pakistan," confirmed internet watchdog NetBlocks on Wednesday.

Pakistan authorities began blocking the popular social media platform on February 17, 2024. The block came about a week after completely restricting the internet before and during election day as an alleged "security measure."

Yet, according to NetBlocks, "The platform was restricted by authorities in February 2024 after it was used to draw attention to instances of alleged election fraud."

Furthermore, while the large-scale disruptions to the internet connection lasted just a few days, the X ban persisted for almost 15 months.

Now, people in Pakistan can finally access X without connecting to a virtual private network (VPN) to spoof their real IP address location.

X hasn't been the only victim of Pakistan's internet censors, though.

The likes of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and even Bluesky have also been briefly restricted in the past. While all these platforms are now accessible without a VPN, NetBlocks confirmed to TechRadar that Telegram is still blocked in the country at the time of writing.

What's certain is that VPN services remain a crucial tool for Pakistanis.

According to Access Now data, in fact, Pakistan imposed 21 shutdowns in 2024. This is the highest number ever for the country.

Recent reports also suggest that China is helping Pakistan build a Great Firewall-like internet censorship system. This project is expected to considerably increase both authorities' blocking and surveillance capabilities.

At the same time, a new licensing category for VPN providers was introduced in December as the latest bid to regulate Pakistan VPN usage.

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Chiara Castro
Chiara Castro
News Editor (Tech Software)

Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life – wherever cybersecurity, markets, and politics tangle up. She believes an open, uncensored, and private internet is a basic human need and wants to use her knowledge of VPNs to help readers take back control. She writes news, interviews, and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, tech policies, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar and TechRadar Pro. Got a story, tip-off, or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com

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