SRINAGAR: About 500 websites including social media platforms have been identified to be blocked permanently in the Valley before restoring broadband internet services.
According to official sources, the internet service providers have been asked to install a firewall that can block access to the blacklisted websites and social media.
The government has repeatedly held social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and popular messaging application WhatsApp responsible for ‘radicalisation’.
Now with internet being restored in a phased manner after being suspended for close to six months since the eve of August 5, there is strong apprehension within the government that social media can disrupt ‘normalcy’.
“Social media is the nuisance that has prevented us to resume the broadband services. The government thinks that internet with accesses to Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter and others has the potential to disrupt the peace. So we are working to see how uninterrupted services can be offered and block the rest of the websites,” sources told Kashmir Reader.
Following the Supreme Court verdict on January 10 upholding access to internet as a fundamental right, the JK home department has eased restrictions by allowing limited access to internet including low-speed mobile internet. But that has not helped people especially students and businessmen alike because it offers accesses to 301 ‘whitelisted’ websites. As such, most of them rely on government-run kiosks to access internet. But there has been no word about restoration of broadband which can tremendously ease situation.
“We have received engineers from outside who are working day and night creating a firewall that can permanently block the access to social websites. We have already blocked these websites but people are circumventing the ban.
“We are now working to permanently block them and make access to them impossible,” the source said.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz