J&K to be no-social media zone for regional broadband users – The Hindu
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has kicked off a humongous workout to consolidate its technical muscle to stop access to all platforms of the social networks in Kashmir, as the J&K administration plans to bring back between 2,000 to 5,000 fixed line broadband connections in stages in the Valley this month.A senior federal government official informed The Hindu that all Internet service providers, consisting of personal players using lease lines and the government-run BSNL, have been asked to deal with generating “a technical muscle” and “firewalls” to stop access to all platforms of the social media like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
“There are worries that residents will go to these social media platforms and upload videos taped in the past 5 months, presenting hazard to the present calm in Kashmir,” a senior policeman told The Hindu. “Besides, Pakistan might likewise use the social media to coordinate with militants.”
The MHA and the J&K cops are dealing with a three-page list of sites, including those offering online Islamic courses, discussion platforms on Islam and several news platforms, that might be barred from any access to the over 1.25 crore population of J&K, which has more than 60 lakh Internet users.
Around 5,000 applications, mainly from the offices of government-run departments, are pending before the BSNL for restoration of fixed line broadband service. The J&K administration is thinking about restoration of an area of it in the very first phase in Srinagar and Budgam.
Security companies have actually currently released dos and do n’ts for the federal government departments, barring generation of wi-fi connections and “unhindered access to information to the security agencies.”
The security companies have actually likewise revealed apprehensions that China-made smart phones present a security risk as they are tough to trace unlike registered phones business like Samsung, “in case a wi-fi connection is misused.” The brand-new instructions by the security agencies will bar gain access to of Internet to unregistered mobile phones on official wi-fi connections and will make it compulsory to change passwords on a weekly basis.
Far, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and anti-insurgency cell, in your area called Cargo, are nodal firms to authorize any application made for restoration of Web in the Valley. The recent choice to restore Web services at medical facilities have actually been restricted to administrative matters and execution of Central plans.
“No academic activity is permitted on these broadband connections. In truth, no student is permitted to access the exact same,” a trainee of the Federal government Medical College, Srinagar, told The Hindu, on the condition of privacy.
Sources said the J&K administration is averse to repair of mobile-based Internet even though over five months have actually passed without the service. Fixedline broadband will be brought back to sectors like tourism, hotel industry and varsity schools, as these are top priority locations for the federal government. Ironically, over 200 papers and other news bureaus function from a small government-run Media Assistance Centre and might not see immediate repair of Internet services in their workplaces.
This content was originally published here.