Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 27: A day after Home Department directed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block 22 social networking sites and instant messaging applications, the telecom operators failed to enforce the ban completely and subscribers accessed these banned sites and applications directly or through the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) and other proxies.
In a bid to curb use of social media to incite protests, mobilize protesters and ‘transmitting objectionable contents’, the Government yesterday directed ISPs to block Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, QQ, We Chat, Qzone, Tumbir, Google+, Baidu, Skype, Viber, Line, Snapchat, Pinterest, Telegram, Reddit, Snapfish, You Tube (upload), Vine, Xanga, Buzznet and Flickr.
However, the telecom operators have failed to block these sites and applications including widely used Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. Sources in the telecom sector said that due to modern technology, it is not possible to curb social networking sites and instant messaging applications “within hours” but it may take “few days”. “This has been already conveyed to government but we are working to enforce the directive,” they said.
The internet users on the other side were also exploring ways to counter the ban. But many of them were surprised as almost all the social networking sites and instant messaging applications were working on mobile 2G network as well as on broadband internet. Those who were unable to access turned to VPN and other proxies.
Cyber experts told Excelsior that it isn’t possible to censor particular websites completely and neither can the means that you use, such as VPN, proxies or SSH tunneling to bypass blockade can be blocked. “There are thousands of free proxy sites available online, despite a regular directory of such websites, everyday thousands of such sites and services sprout on the Internet that can let you use blocked websites and services,” they said.
A new Delhi-based cyber expert commenting on the J&K Government’s direction said a simple free VPN can bypass this ban. “In developed countries people use VPN for safeguarding their privacy. Though it may be naive in this part of world,” he said, adding: “SSH tunneling is the best way to bypass, but requires technical know how to do it, but can be learnt easily on YouTube,” he added.
A police official, when contacted, said that they are monitoring the situation in the aftermath of the ban directive but admitted that the ban has not been enforced and people are accessing these banned social networking sites and instant messaging applications. “We are well aware of this fact that there is no bar. We are in ‘wait and watch’ mode and analyzing things. Let’s see how things evolve and we can accordingly take further measures,” he said.
Sources informed that the telecom operators were mulling to restore 3G and 4G services in case they were able to enforce the ban completely. However the Airtel was the only private cellular company which restored its high speed 3G and 4G data services by Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, the situation in educational institutes of the Valley was by and large peaceful today. However, students of Pulwama Higher Secondary School (HSS) in Main Town boycotted their classes and staged a protest, demanding release of their counterparts from police custody. The students resorted to heavy stone-pelting on police and it was retaliated by the latter with teargas shells.
The day-long clashes in the Pulwama town continued throughout the day and resulted in complete halt of commercial activities. The students also held peaceful protest at Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The students of Degree College protested against recent police action on their counterparts but later dispersed off peacefully.
In the meanwhile, police arrested woman separatist leader and chief of Dukhtaran-e-Millat Asiya Andrabi from her residence in Srinagar along with aide Fehmeeda Sofi. A spokesman of the DeM said police and its Special Operation Group (SOG) raided her Soura residence at around 11:30 PM last night and arrested with Fehmeda, the woman separatist’s personal secretary.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel