The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has formally registered the live-streaming app BIGO LIVE and the short-video app Likee in Pakistan, bringing two popular platforms inside the country’s regulatory framework for online content. The regulator announced the registration on 4 November 2026, confirming that both apps are registered through their local company, Bigo Service Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd.
PTA said it looked forward to strengthening its collaboration with BIGO to improve content moderation, promote responsible use of the platforms and ensure continued compliance with Pakistan’s laws. The registration, it said, marks an important step towards a safe, responsible and secure digital environment for users in Pakistan.
What PTA announced
BIGO LIVE, the live-streaming app, and Likee, the short-video app, are both run by Bigo Technology and have now completed their registration under Bigo Service Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. The registration was done under the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2021, which require large social media companies serving Pakistani users to register with the regulator.
PTA confirmed that the step strengthens its engagement with major social media platforms. Registration does not mean that every video or live stream on the two apps has automatically received regulatory approval, and the announcement brought no immediate change to how Pakistani users access or use either service.
The 2021 rules behind the registration
The 2021 online content rules apply to “significant” social media companies, broadly those with large numbers of Pakistani users. Companies covered by the rules must register with PTA, keep a point of contact for the regulator, respond to requests to remove content that breaks Pakistani law, and run a complaint system for users.
PTA keeps a public list of the social media companies registered under these rules on its website. Larger global platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, X and TikTok deal with PTA through their own channels and regularly receive content removal requests from the regulator, as their transparency reports show. Registration does not make an app government-run; it only means the company has agreed to a formal process for complaints and legal compliance in Pakistan.
Not the first registration — the 2022 certificates and the 2020 block
Bigo Service Pakistan was among the first companies to register under the 2021 rules. In January 2022, PTA awarded registration certificates to Bigo Service Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. for BIGO LIVE and Likee, alongside Joyo Technology Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. for Snack Video. The two companies were the first to register under the rules, and their representatives received the certificates at an event at PTA headquarters in Islamabad.
The history between BIGO LIVE and the regulator goes back further. BIGO LIVE was blocked in Pakistan in 2020 over content concerns and was restored after the company agreed to moderate content. The new registration renews that formal relationship with the regulator, four years after the first certificates were issued.
What it means for users
For ordinary users, the practical answer is simple: nothing needs to be done. Both apps remain available and registered, and no action is required from anyone who already uses them. What changes is what happens behind the scenes.
First, complaints should now move faster, because there is a formal channel between the apps and PTA for handling harmful or illegal content. Second, moderation is expected to get stricter: more content may be removed and more accounts restricted if they break local rules on vulgarity, hate speech or blasphemy. Third, parents should note that both apps let users send virtual gifts bought with real money, so it is worth checking a child’s app settings and payment methods.
In a related clarification on 5 November, PTA also dismissed as fake a notification circulating on social media that claimed the government had decided to ban TikTok in Pakistan. The regulator said no such notification had been issued. TikTok’s own Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for April to June 2025 states that the platform removed 25,448,992 videos from Pakistan in that three-month period for breaching its guidelines.
How to report harmful content on BIGO LIVE or Likee
If you see content on either app that breaks the rules, start with the in-app report option on the video, live stream or profile concerned. If the app does not act, you can file a complaint with PTA through its online complaint management system or the PTA mobile app, attaching a link and screenshots.
For serious matters such as threats, blackmail or fraud, the complaint should go to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The registration means these channels now sit on a formal footing: the apps, the regulator and the complaints system are connected, and users have a clear route when something goes wrong.
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