Srinagar Administration Imposes Two-Month Ban on VPN Services Citing Public Safety and Cyber Security Concerns

SRINAGAR, January 5, 2026: In a significant move to bolster regional security, the District Magistrate of Srinagar has ordered the immediate suspension of all Virtual Private Network (VPN) services within the district’s territorial jurisdiction for a period of two months. Invoking powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the administration issued the directive following reports from the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, regarding the potential misuse of these services by vested interests.

The official order emphasizes that the encrypted nature of VPNs, which allows users to conceal IP addresses and bypass firewalls, poses a substantial risk of being exploited for unlawful and anti-national activities, including the coordination of unrest and the dissemination of inflammatory content.

The suspension aims to safeguard public order and protect sensitive data from cyber threats that could arise through untraceable digital tunnels. While the ban is comprehensive for the general public, the administration has clarified that authorized VPN usage by government departments via the National Informatics Centre (NIC) remains exempt.

Given the urgency of the situation and the impracticality of serving individual notices, the order was issued ex-parte and is being widely publicized through official websites and local newspapers to ensure full compliance.

The Senior Superintendent of Police has been tasked with the strict enforcement of this ban to prevent any activities prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order in the district.