US firm helps build firewall to maintain social media ban in Indian Occupied Kashmir

The IOK administration has reached out to Cisco Systems for a firewall to prevent users from accessing social media

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed a communications blackout in August last year and stripped the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) of its special autonomous status.

The IOK administration has reached out to a US-based multinational software firm Cisco Systems in order to prevent fixed-line internet users from accessing social media websites, reported ThePrint.

The step has been taken to remove the restriction on fixed-line broadband connection, however, social media platforms will still not be accessible to local residents even when internet connectivity is restored.

Back in January, users were allowed 2G mobile internet and broadband for 1,500 individuals, including those providing essential services such as hospitals with access to only 1600 website.

Because there is fear that residents might access websites through virtual private networks (VPNs), the administration is trying to build a firewall that will stop internet users in IOK from accessing blacklisted websites, including social media portals, through fixed-line connections according to the Official source.

"We are currently testing the temporary stopgap arrangement… and (analysing) if the ban on blacklisted websites is sustainable. This will be followed by purchasing the firewall,” a senior government official said.

However, people in the area are deeply affected by this:

“I would use social media, too, but most of the time I would use the internet to surf the websites of foreign universities. Now, not only can I not use VPNs to do that, the 2G speed has come down so much that I can’t even access my emails on the phone. I had applied in some places and I can’t check the responses,” said Khursheed Ahmed, who plans to study abroad, had been using a VPN to access websites of foreign universities.

Faheem Bhat, who owned a small software solutions firm, has been forced into a career change. He is now working towards opening a medical shop. “At least that will give me some stability,” said Faheem Bhat.

“The current internet speed is as good as having no internet at all,” said Yasmeen, another Srinagar resident.

This article originally published by The Print.