The Jammu & Kahsmir police on Monday lodged an FIR against people for using social media platforms via VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), reported the Indian Express. Why was the FIR lodged? The FIR has been lodged taking note of the social media posts by 'miscreants' using VPNs, which allegedly 'spread rumours regarding the current security situation in Kashmir, secessionist ideology, and glorifying terrorists', the police said, per the publication. It was lodged under UAPA, IPC, and Section 66A of the IT Act: The FIR has been lodged under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Sections 188 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 66A of the Information Technology Act. Section 66A was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015. “Taking a serious note of the misuse of social media, the Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar, has registered an FIR against various social media users, who defied the government orders and misused the social media platforms,” a Srinagar-based police spokesman said on Monday, per the report. Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar appealed to the general public not to use social media via VPNs, per the report. J&K government reiterated social media and VPN ban: The J&K government had on February 15 reiterated the ban on social media applications and VPN applications, and said that reports had been received from intelligence and law enforcement agencies that social media sites are being accessed through VPN applications "for coordinating terror activities" and "to upload provocative…
