Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has declared 46 mobile applications 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 — many of which are widely used across the region, officials said.
The list also includes unregulated forex and binary 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 asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to immediately block access to the listed applications and urged the public to avoid using unverified apps that could endanger their data and finances.