Police identify 800 users as crackdown on unauthorised VPNs intensifies in Kashmir
J&K admn has imposed a two-month blanket ban on unauthorised VPN use, citing public safety and cyber security concerns
Jammu and Kashmir Police have identified around 800 people across the Kashmir Valley for using unauthorised Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in violation of prohibitory orders imposed by the administration, officials said.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration recently imposed a blanket ban on the use of VPN services across the Valley. Orders issued by various district magistrates prohibit the use of unauthorised VPNs for a period of two months with immediate effect.
Authorities said the measure was taken as a preventive step to ensure public safety, cyber security and maintenance of law and order, and to prevent misuse of VPN services that could hinder lawful monitoring or compromise security.
A senior police official told The Tribune that around 800 individuals have so far been identified across Kashmir for violating the ban.
Following the imposition of restrictions, police in several districts have launched verification drives and initiated action. In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, police said they acted against the use of unauthorised VPN services after carrying out “systematic verification and monitoring”.
During the period from December 29, 2025, to January 2, 2026, 24 individuals were identified for violating the orders, a police spokesperson said. Based on investigation and technical analysis, two FIRs were registered against individuals with adverse terror-related backgrounds, highlighting the security risks associated with misuse of encrypted platforms.
Police also initiated security proceedings against 11 individuals, aged between 18 and 40 years, for non-compliance with the prohibitory orders. They were bound down under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and later released after due warning, the spokesperson said.
In south Kashmir, Shopian Police said a district-wide verification drive led to the identification of 15 individuals using VPNs. Police said detailed technical scrutiny and background verification were conducted to check for terror-related links or adverse antecedents.
Similar action has been initiated in other districts. In north Kashmir’s Sopore area, police said 23 individuals were identified using unauthorised VPN services. The District Magistrate, Baramulla, had issued prohibitory orders banning the use of unauthorised VPNs on December 29.
Meanwhile, the ban has also been extended to parts of the Jammu region. On Sunday, the District Magistrate of Udhampur issued an order prohibiting the use of VPN services in the district for a period of two months.
