J&K Police lodges FIR over use of VPN to dodge social media ban

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An FIR has been lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against social media users in Jammu and Kashmir for flouting the internet ban imposed by the government.

This is the first time an FIR has been registered under sections 13 of UAPA, 66-A (b) of Information Technology Act, and 188, 505 of the Indian Penal Code after the ban was imposed.

The step was taken by the J&K Police after social media users were found using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to hide their location and use the internet while the ban was in place. Using proxy servers, social media users in the newly-formed union territory had uploaded a video of ailing separatist leader Syed Geelani on February 17, sparking a furor.

In view of the incident, stringent action was taken by the cops against those defying government orders, reported the Indian Express. They said: “Taking serious note of the misuse of social media, a case FIR has been registered by the Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone Srinagar against social media users who defied the internet ban and misused social media platforms.”

The cops further stated: “The step was taken while taking cognizance of social media posts shared by miscreants using VPNs to spread rumours about the security situation in Kashmir Valley at the moment and propagate separatist ideologies that glorify acts of terror.”

The FIR mentioned that the police had been receiving frequent reports about social media misuse to promote “unlawful activities”. It added: “Being a tool that largely provides anonymity, social media platforms continue to be a preferred medium for such activities while giving wide outreach too.”

Notably, while internet services have been restored in the Valley after a six-month-long hiatus following the abrogation of Article 370, the people of the UT have only been granted access to whitelisted sites. Social media usage and accessing peer-to-peer applications continue to be banned by the J&K administration.