he difference between a platform like Spotify and Google is simple: the former is strictly dedicated to audio content, while the latter allows users to search for anything, including how to find a polling station, a local recipe, or a cricket match. A case in point is the data provided by Google, which tells us what Pakistanis searched for and viewed on YouTube. It paints a very different picture compared to the data provided by other platforms like Spotify. For instance, Spotify’s top three local artists (Umair, Talha Anjum, and Atif Aslam), streamed within the country, were not the most searched names on Google—and so on it goes.

What is worth remembering is that this data comes after the Pakistani government’s announcement of a possible ban on virtual private network (VPNs), followed by absurdly slow internet speeds and consistent “Big Brother” moves. So, did these appalling suggestions make users fearful and hold them back while using Google’s search engine and the video-streaming site YouTube? That is a larger question that should haunt everyone, including platforms officially operating in the country. But for now, here’s a look at what Pakistanis searched for and viewed in the past year.

Searching map

Pakistan’s digital landscape in 2024—at least among those who used Google— centered around four subjects: sports, entertainment, food, and technology. If we break it down further, in sports, the nation was most interested, as always, in cricket. ICC T20 World Cup, Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 schedules and matchups, and queries about star players like Shoaib Malik and Sajid Khan had the country engaged. Pakistan was also intrigued by javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Search trends demonstrated how his victory elevated him from obscurity to the status of a national hero. Searches for notable figures included media personalities Sana Javed and Zoya Nasir, Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, and social media figures Hareem Shah and Minahil Malik.

As for entertainment, the enduring appeal of Pakistani dramas was evident, with productions like Ishq Murshid and Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum making the list.........

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