The Indian government has blocked 14 mobile applications that were being used by terrorists in Pakistan to transmit information to Jammu and Kashmir. The banned messenger applications include Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi and Threema. These apps were reportedly being used by terrorists in Pakistan to send coded messages to overground workers and other operatives in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Government’s Crackdown on 14 Mobile Applications Know What Happened?
The government’s action against mobile applications that pose a threat to national security is not new, as it has previously banned several Chinese apps, accusing them of being “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order.”
In total, around 250 Chinese apps have been banned over the past few years, with more than 200 of them being banned since June 2020. Popular apps like TikTok, Shareit, WeChat, Helo, Likee, UC News, Bigo Live, UC Browser, Xender, Camscanner, as well as popular mobile games such as PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire, have been banned.
The government has blocked these apps under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as they were allegedly spreading terror propaganda and inciting youth in J&K. These apps were designed to provide anonymity to users, and their features made it tough to resolve entities associated with them. The authorities discovered that these apps