Pakistan National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) declared 46 mobile applications risky and illegal as part of a nationwide crackdown on online gambling, unregulated trading, and data privacy violations.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said that the banned apps were operating in violation of national laws, facilitating illegal betting, casino-style games, and unlicensed forex and binary trading. The agency warned that the platforms pose serious risks to users’ financial security and personal data.
Among the banned gambling apps are 1xBet, Chicken Road, Aviator Games, Dafabet, 22Bet, Casumo, Rabona, 10Cric, Plinko, and Bet365 and many of which are widely used across the region, officials said.
The list also includes unregistered forex and trading platforms, which the NCCIA said could enable financial scams and illegal money transfers due to a lack of oversight.
In addition, the agency flagged several apps that provide access to citizens’ personal data including SIM card and mobile number information, raising concerns about privacy breaches, data misuse, and identity theft.
The NCCIA has requested that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should block access to the listed applications immediately and urged the public to refrain from using unverified apps that could compromise their data and finances.
Some of the apps widely deceived the public while leaking valuable data of the mobile users; however, they realised their blunder when their data was badly misused for various purposes.
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