April,26,2017

Subversive elements extensively misused social media sites and instant messaging services for vitiating peace and instigating violence

On Wednesday J&K Govt banned 22 social networking sites and the applications including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Kashmir on ground that these were being misused by the anti-national and anti-social elements to fan trouble.

Ban will be in place for period of 1 month or till further orders, whichever is earlier, states an order issued by the Principal Secretary (Home) R K Goyal.

According to his order,”In interest of maintenance of public order, Government hereby directs all the internet service providers that any message or class of the messages to or from a person or a class of the persons relating to any subject or any pictorial content through following social networking sites shall not be transmitted in the Kashmir Valley with immediate effect for a period of one month or till the further orders, whichever is earlier”.

Sites and applications which will be inaccessible in the valley include the Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Wechat, QQ, Qzone, Google Plus, Skype, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, Vine and Flickr.

To ban social networking sites and Apps, Goyal invoked powers conferred on the Government under Indian Telegraph Act,1885 read with the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules,2007 to ban these sites and the applications.

 

The move comes against backdrop of repeated student protests in Kashmir, which authorities believe are fanned through the social media.

Some days back, Police Official had said that the 350 WhatsApp Groups were being used to spread the rumours in Kashmir and Government had cracked down, shutting 90 per cent of these groups.