Jammu, Nov 30 (NationPress) Officials in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir have announced the suspension of virtual private network (VPN) services for a period of two months, citing concerns over potential misuse of these technologies by anti-social elements for illegal activities.

Poonch has become the second border district in the Jammu division to experience a VPN service suspension, following Rajouri, where a similar directive was issued just days ago.

Poonch District Magistrate Ashok Kumar Sharma implemented the suspension of VPNs under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) with immediate effect.

According to the order, “The SSP noted an unprecedented increase in VPN usage in recent days across various locations in the district by suspicious internet users,” said the DM.

The directive pointed out that VPN traffic is encrypted, establishes a point-to-point tunnel, conceals IP addresses, and can bypass website blocks and firewalls, potentially exposing sensitive data to cyber threats. “Malefactors can exploit VPN services to instigate fear considering the current situation,” the DM remarked.

This mandate will affect all individuals, organizations, cyber cafes, and internet service providers operating within the district, with penalties outlined under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for non-compliance. The DM instructed the SSP to ensure strict adherence to the order.

In Rajouri, District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma enacted an immediate two-month suspension of all VPN services in the border area, motivated by public safety concerns and the potential for these platforms to be misused for illegal activities. This order was also issued under Section 163 of the BNSS following a report from the police.

Rajouri SSP Gaurav Sikarwar highlighted unusual and suspicious VPN usage throughout different areas of the district in his communication to the civil administration. The DM's order in Rajouri reiterated that the ability of VPNs to mask IP addresses, circumvent website blocks, and transmit encrypted data had been leveraged by a notable number of dubious internet users.

“Such behaviors have the potential to be exploited for anti-national activities, including disseminating inflammatory content, coordinating actions detrimental to public order, and posing cyber security risks,” emphasized the Rajouri district magistrate, asserting that this preventive measure was taken in the interest of maintaining law and order and protecting sensitive information.