IT and Telecom Minister Syed Aminul Haque announced on Friday that tech-giant Google would open its office in Pakistan next week, and revealed that TikTok has also agreed to set up an office in the country.
In a press conference on Friday, the IT minister revealed that Google has already registered itself as a company with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Registration is one of the requirements under the ‘Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules 2021’.
Once a social media company is registered in Pakistan, it will have to abide by the laws and norms of the country.
“A delegation of Google is scheduled to come to Pakistan early next week from Singapore and the company will likely announce the establishment of a functional office here,” the minister was quoted as saying by news media.
He also revealed TikTok had agreed to establish a liaison office in Pakistan as well. “TikTok will soon set up its office in Pakistan. Companies remain reluctant due to the lack of trust and inconsistent policies,” he said, adding that other social media platforms will also establish their offices in Pakistan soon.
However, according to industry experts, Twitter and Meta have so far shown hesitance when it comes to setting up offices in Pakistan, owing to inconsistent policies.
