The Indian government has taken another major step towards safeguarding national security by blocking 14 messenger mobile apps that were used by terrorists in Pakistan to transmit information to Jammu and Kashmir. The move comes after intelligence reports suggested that these applications were being used by terrorists in Kashmir to communicate with their supporters and on-ground workers.

The apps blocked by the government include popular ones like Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi, Threema among others. These apps were found to be specially designed to maintain the anonymity of the users, making it difficult to trace the entities associated with them.

Through these applications, terrorist outfits and their affiliates were engaging their associates in Jammu and Kashmir to further their terror activities in the Union Territory and other places. These apps were being used to circulate anti-India messages, spread propaganda, and incite youths in Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by ANI. The Central government, in close coordination with the IT ministry and other concerned agencies, blocked them under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

This is not the first time that the Indian government has taken such a step to block apps that pose a threat to national security. In the past, the government has banned numerous Chinese apps, accusing them of being “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, and public order.” A total of around 250 Chinese apps have been banned over the past few years, with more than 200 apps being banned since June 2020 alone.