Indian police in disputed Kashmir open a sweeping case against countless users for using VPNs to dodge social media ban there, under a stringent law that allows authorities to designate individuals as "terrorists."
Authorities in India-administered Kashmir have registered an unprecedented case against countless internet users who employed virtual private networks, or VPNs, to circumvent a social media ban in the disputed region, police said on Tuesday, in an apparent effort to stop their use.
Police said they misused social media "to propagate a secessionist ideology and promote unlawful activities."
"Hundreds of suspected misusers have been identified and are being probed," said Tahir Ashraf, who heads the police cyber division in Srinagar, the region's main city.
Police said in a statement on Monday that they have seized "a lot of incriminating material," adding that the accused could be charged under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which also allows the government to designate individuals as "terrorists."
But critics say the tight internet restrictions are "far worse censorship than anywhere in the world" and could spearhead a new level of government control over information allowing it to further restrict freedoms in Kashmir.
"Everything is policed here. There's no privacy in our lives," said Ikram Ahmed, a university student. "Now we will have people in jails for the mere use of social media."
According to Britain-based VPNCompare, Kashmir has seen an "unprecedented surge in demand for VPN information and direct requests via social media for assistance on working services in the region."
