VPN are Banned In India :Ministry of Home Affairs

VPN helps the user in staying anonymous, banning it outright doesn’t sound right for multiple reasons.VPN helps the user in staying anonymous, banning it outright doesn’t sound right for multiple reasons.

The report further reveals that the committee recommends permanently blocking VPN services in the country with the help of internet service providers in India. The committee has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to identify and permanently block VPNs.

It has also asked the Ministry to take initiatives to strengthen the tracking and surveillance mechanisms by improving and developing advanced technologies to scrutinize the use of VPN and the dark web in India. 

Why VPNs are used:

• To use public Wi-Fi privately and safely
• To access content anywhere, as if you were at home
• To maintain internet privacy
• To bypass restricted networks at work or school

Is VPN legal or illegal in India?

Every country has a different stance on VPNs, and not all see them as favorable. Currently, a handful of governments either regulate or outright ban VPNs, which include countries like Belarus, China, Iraq, North Korea, Oman, Russia, and the U.A.E., to name a few. Still, others impose internet censorship laws, which makes using a VPN risky.

Depending on the country, governments may impose fines on both the citizen and the VPN service provider for using an unsanctioned VPN. Although using VPN is completely legal in India, there are some cases where the government or local police have punished people for using the service.1 It’s better to check for yourself and not to visit legally banned sites while using VPN.

What does VPN actually do?

VPN (also known as Virtual Private Network) creates a secure connection between you and the internet service provider where your traffic gets routed through an encrypted channel. It hides your IP address and does not allow any app to see its real location. Ultimately, the committee wants the government to block the use of VPNs in India with the help of a ‘coordination mechanism’ in collaboration with the international agencies. The committee wants the Home Ministry to join hands with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for identifying all the VPNs available in India and blocking them completely with the help of internet service providers (ISPs).