- On the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), The Centre has blocked 14 mobile applications.
- The source said that the concerned department has blocked these under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- According to a central intelligence officer, these apps were being used by terrorists and their supporters to communicate with on-ground workers (OGW) in J&K.
- In official communications to higher-ups, the intelligence agencies informed that these apps are spreading terror propaganda in the Valley.
- Agencies found that the mobile application does not have representatives in India, and it is difficult to track down activities happening on the app,” an official told a news agency.
On the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), The Centre has blocked 14 mobile applications which, according to central intelligence agencies, were being used by terrorists and their supporters in Jammu and Kashmir.
The source said that the concerned department has blocked Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second Line, Zangi, Threema, Crypviser, Enigma and Safeswiss. “Initially, 15 mobile applications, including a leading messenger mobile application were identified, but action was later taken against 14 apps,” the source said, adding that these apps have been blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
According to a central intelligence officer, they recommended action after finding that these apps were being used by terrorists and their supporters to communicate with on-ground workers (OGW) in J&K. “Even these apps do not have any representatives in India and cannot be contacted for seeking the information as mandated by Indian laws,” a source said.
“Intelligence agencies also informed the MHA that most of these apps are designed to provide anonymity to these users and their features make it tough to resolve the entities associated with these apps. These mobile apps aid terrorists and their affiliates to engage in activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India and can disturb peace and harmony,” another source said.
In official communications to higher-ups, the intelligence agencies informed that these apps are spreading terror propaganda in the Valley.
The action was taken on the recommendation of security and intelligence agencies. A list of apps that pose a threat to national security and do not follow Indian laws was prepared, and the concerned ministry was informed of the request to ban them. These apps have been blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the official added. In a big crackdown on terrorist activities, the Centre has banned 14 mobile messaging applications which were allegedly being used by terror groups, largely in Jammu and Kashmir, to communicate with their supporters and Over Ground Workers (OGW) and also receive instructions from Pakistan, sources said.
“Agencies keep track of channels used by Overground workers (OGWs) and terrorists to communicate among themselves. While tracking down one of the communication, agencies found that the mobile application does not have representatives in India, and it is difficult to track down activities happening on the app,” an official told a news agency.
(With inputs from agencies)
