Rajouri, Nov 29: The District Administration Rajouri has ordered the immediate suspension of all Virtual Private Network (VPN) services across the district for a period of two months, citing public safety concerns and the potential misuse of these tools for unlawful activities.
The directive, issued by District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, follows a formal communication from the Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, who reported an unprecedented and suspicious surge in VPN usage in multiple areas of the district, Kashmir News Corner (KNC) reported.
According to the order, VPN services—by enabling users to mask IP addresses, bypass access restrictions, and transmit encrypted data—are believed to be increasingly exploited by suspicious users. Authorities fear such access may facilitate activities deemed harmful to public order, including spreading provocative content, coordinating anti-national actions, and posing cybersecurity risks.
Terming the suspension a preventive measure, the District Magistrate stated that maintaining peace, security, and data integrity within the district necessitated immediate action.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, has been tasked with ensuring strict enforcement of the order.
