What’s happening:
Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has officially declared 46 mobile apps illegal. These include gambling, casino, forex, binary trading platforms—and even apps that harvest personal data without user consent.
What kinds of apps are banned:
1. Gambling & casino apps: Aviator Game, Chicken Road, 1xBet, Betway, Dafabet, 22Bet, Melbet, Parimatch, Bet365, Plinko, 10Cric, Rabona, Casumo, BetWinner, 888Starz, Thunderpick, B9 Game App
2. Forex & binary trading platforms: Binomo, Capital Core, IQ Option, Pocket Option, Deriv, IQ Cent, Binarium, Kalshi, Insta Forex, Olymp Trade, Evo Trade, Binary Mate, Binary Cent, Cronika, OctaFX, Focus Option, Quotex, First Binary Option, Close Option
3. Data-harvesting apps: Apps like Sim Owner Details, Pak SIM Data, Sky Sim Data, Sim Tracker—and many others—that illegally access SIM or CNIC information
Why this matters:
These platforms aren't just illegal—they often exploit users. Gambling and trading apps can drain money quickly. Data-harvesting services may expose sensitive info like mobile numbers or identity details, paving the way for fraud.
What the government is doing:
The NCCIA has handed over the list to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block these apps nationwide.
PTA has already blocked at least 184 related websites and apps in prior actions.
Authorities are also warning the public: don’t install apps that lack official approval.