India Blocks 14 Mobile Applications Used By Terrorists And Their Supporters In J&K: Report

The Government has blocked 14 mobile apps which were reportedly being used by terrorists and their supporters in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several mobile applications, including popular messengers, have been reportedly blocked by the government under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 based on the Ministry of Home Affairs' recommendation.

The list of blocked apps includes names like Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi, Threema, Crypviser, Enigma and Safeswiss.

The initial count was 15, but later action was taken against 14 apps.

A central intelligence officer was cited by the Indian Express as saying that they had recommended action against these apps after finding that they were being used by terrorists and their supporters to communicate with on-ground workers (OGW) in J&K.

“Even these apps do not have any representatives in India and cannot be contacted for seeking information as mandated by Indian laws,” a source was quoted in the Indian Express report as saying.

Intelligence officials have also informed the MHA that majority of these apps are designed to provide anonymity to these users and their features make it tough to resolve the entities associated with these apps.

These apps are reportedly believed to be used by terrorists and their associates to engage in activities that threaten India's sovereignty and security and can disturb peace and harmony, according to the source.