The government will examine the feasibility of blocking WhatsApp calling services in insurgency-hit areas such as Jammu and Kashmir as it has come to light that militants are using the facility to be in constant touch with their handlers sitting across the border, officials have said.
The issue was flagged during a meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba where the recent arrests in connection the terror attack at Nagrota Army camp in 2016 was highlighted. The arrested militants of Jaish-e-Mohammed told the Jammu and Kashmir Police that they were taking directions from across the border through WhatsApp call, they said.
Seven Army men were killed in the terror attack.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently took custody of the three people, arrested by the state police for their alleged involvement in helping the terrorists which included ferrying them from the border and guiding them to the Army camp.
The meeting, which was attended by top officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and those from security agencies as well as Jammu and Kashmir Police, was called to discuss the removal of malicious content from various social networking sites posted by ‘keypad jihadis’, who spew venom on the Internet with an intent to create a law and order situation by spreading rumours or giving communal colour to any event.
The use of Internet for making calls has increased the problems for security agencies who have been unable to crack it due to end-to-end encryption by the service provider, they said.
