2G mobile Internet services extended in Jammu & Kashmir till March 4; tighter vigil on use of VPNs

Jammu: Social networking sites allowing peer-to-peer communication and virtual private networks (VPNs) will remain unavailable in Jammu and Kashmir as anti-national elements and people across the border continue to “misuse” these platforms, the authorities said on Tuesday as 2G mobile Internet services were extended till March 4.

Issuing an order here, the home department of the union territory said that while assessing the impact of the directions relating to regulation of telecom services, it has come to fore that VPNs continue to be misused by the ANE (anti-national elements), including their handlers from across the border, to bypass the Internet restrictions.

It said that VPNs come handy for them to coordinate with their operatives within the UT and plan terror acts and scale up anti-national activities.