VPN users under siege in Jammu and Kashmir as authorities issue a 2-month ban – here's what we know

• Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir issued a 2-month VPN ban
• Police have already identified 800 users accessing unauthorized VPNs
• Digital rights experts deem the order "legally impermissible"

Citizens of the Indian-administered region of Jammu and Kashmir can now be prosecuted for using VPN apps.

Authorities invoked Section 163 of India's criminal procedure code on December 29 to effectively impose a two-month blanket ban on unauthorized VPN use.

According to reports, police have already penalized around 800 users, stopping citizens to search their phones for the now-illegal applications.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration justified the ban as necessary to halt malicious activities linked to the software and ...