VPN users under siege in Jammu and Kashmir as authorities issue a 2-month ban – here's what we know

• Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir issued a 2-month VPN ban
• Police have already identified 800 users accessing unauthorized VPNs
• Digital rights experts deem the order "legally impermissible"

Citizens of the Indian-administered region of Jammu and Kashmir can now be prosecuted for using VPN apps.

Authorities invoked Section 163 of India's criminal procedure code on December 29 to effectively impose a two-month blanket ban on unauthorized VPN use.

According to reports, police have already penalized around 800 users, stopping citizens to search their phones for the now-illegal applications.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration justified the ban as necessary to halt malicious activities linked to the software and has restricted use to government-approved services only.

While authorities remain hostile toward the technology, VPNs have become a vital tool for residents looking to overcome internet censorship and secure their communications.

Speaking to Techradar, Raman Jit Singh Chima, Senior International Counsel and Asia Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, said: "Law enforcement is trying to push everyday people from not using VPNs, and that's alarming."

"Legally impermissible"

Serious concerns have also been raised regarding the legality of the restrictions.

"It's legally impermissible," Chima said. "Blocking VPNs as a whole technology is not something that should be within the purview of those criminal emergency powers they're using."

This is not the first time authorities in the region have resorted to such measures. Chima noted that police pressured residents over VPN use during the internet shutdown that began in August 2019 and which lasted over 550 days.

The wider nation is no stranger to pressure against VPNs, either. Many companies including NordVPN, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark, removed their physical servers from India in 2022. This followed a data retention law that required them to log extensive user data for authorities.

The current ban is set for two months, though this may be a formality. "The reason why the orders have a time limit is that, generally, under the law, you cannot issue blanket continuous prohibitory orders," Chima explained, warning that extensions remain a possibility.

What's next?

Given the current legal threats, Chima declined to offer practical advice on accessing the software.

However, for those willing to take the risk, VPN providers generally recommend switching to obfuscated protocols. These are designed to bypass blocks by masking VPN traffic as standard web activity.

Proton VPN, which offers one of the best free VPN apps, includes a Discreet Icon feature. This allows users to change the app's icon to a generic symbol, potentially helping people evade scrutiny during police phone checks. The feature is currently available only on Android.

It remains to be seen if authorities can legally sustain the ban for much longer. That is why Chima urges both individuals and the wider tech industry to challenge the order in court.

"I think it's very important for them to push back to say 'how is this legal and acceptable?' even just from a procedural perspective," he told TechRadar.

"It's a blanket ban on an entire type of technology. And that's deeply problematic and disturbing, and not something that the federal government should be OK with."

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