VPN Services Suspended in Srinagar for Two Months

Srinagar: The District Magistrate Srinagar has ordered the suspension of all Virtual Private Network (VPN) services within the territorial limits of the district for a period of two months, invoking powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The order follows a report submitted by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, which flagged apprehensions over the potential misuse of VPN services by vested interests, posing risks to public order and cyber security.

According to the administration, VPN services enable encrypted data transmission and the masking of IP addresses, allowing users to bypass website restrictions and security firewalls. These features, the order notes, could be exploited for unlawful and anti-national activities, including the dissemination of inflammatory content, incitement to unrest, and coordination of activities detrimental to law and order.

The District Magistrate observed that unrestricted use of VPNs poses serious threats to public safety, cyber security, and the protection of sensitive information, necessitating immediate preventive action in the larger public interest.

However, the suspension will not apply to authorised VPN usage by government departments operating through the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

As serving individual notices was considered impractical, the order has been issued ex parte. The administration has directed that the order be given wide publicity through the district website, leading newspapers, and by displaying copies on notice boards of the offices of the District Magistrate, SSP Srinagar, Sub-Divisional Magistrates Srinagar East and West, and all tehsildars.

The SSP Srinagar has been instructed to ensure strict enforcement of the order in letter and spirit.