VPN Services Suspended in Rajouri Over Security Concerns

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district have suspended VPN services for two months, citing public safety concerns. The directive aims to prevent unlawful activities facilitated by VPNs, such as spreading inflammatory content and posing cybersecurity threats.

In a decisive move, officials in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district have halted all Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for the next two months. The measure, mandated under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), is aimed at safeguarding public safety and preventing the exploitation of such services for unlawful activities, authorities stated.

The order, issued by District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma, follows a report from Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Sikarwar on the troubling rise in suspicious VPN usage. Sharma highlighted that VPN's ability to mask IP addresses and transmit encrypted data poses significant risks, including the potential for spreading incendiary content and orchestrating activities detrimental to public order.

As part of maintaining law and order, the local police have been instructed to rigorously enforce the order, ensuring compliance to protect sensitive information and secure public safety, officials confirmed.

(With inputs from agencies.)