VPNs Banned in India’s Doda District

On May 6, a Magistrate for India’s Doda District, Harvinder Singh, issued an order banning the use of VPN services for two months for all individuals, cyber cafes, institutions, and ISPs in the district.

According to the Doda administration, this ban follows a growing concern regarding cybersecurity, public safety, and the integrity of the district’s digital governance. In addition, another district magistrate issued strict orders prohibiting hate speech, violence incitement, and provocative statements.

A spokesperson for the district claims authorities found evidence that individuals and groups were using VPNs to bypass restrictions and access blocked apps, websites, and content. Due to this, the ban will be enforced for at least two months and the prohibitive orders include:

• ‘In exercise of powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, I hereby impose a complete prohibition on the use of VPNs, except those explicitly permitted by the government through official order, within the territorial jurisdiction of District Doda, with immediate effect until further orders.’
• ‘No individual, digital platform, representative of community, organization, or group shall deliver, publish, or circulate any hate speech, objectionable remark, or irresponsible statement in public places, through print, websites, electronic media, or on social media platforms.’
• ‘No person/individual through himself/herself or through any of the digital platforms/social media shall carry out real-time coverage (live telecasting) of any activity that has potential of causing communal hatred, public order issues or spreading misinformation.’
• ‘All public meetings, rallies, or processions likely to draw public gatherings must obtain prior permission from this office.’

The claim that authorities found evidence of VPN misuse sheds light on the ongoing question about virtual private network services: are they really private? How did authorities obtain this information if one of the first concerns of VPN companies is offering complete privacy with a zero-logs policy?

If there’s actual evidence, it means that:

• The investigated individuals and groups weren’t using a truly log-free VPN.
• Authorities could retrieve their citizens’ browsing information, including metadata and connection timestamps (either through ISP disclosure or unreliable VPN services).

This is a clear reminder of the importance of choosing the right VPN. Make sure to investigate the available offerings and choose a VPN that has a zero-logs policy verified through recurrent independent audits.