Virtual private networks (VPNs) are great for accessing inaccessible online content, but Indian authorities see VPNs as a great tool for cybercriminals to hide their online identities. As a result, the Indian Ministry of Interior has urged the Government of India to permanently block domestic VPN services in order to protect the interests of the people and prevent domestic cybercrime.
According to a recent report by Media raw (((Via Gadgets 360), The Standing Committee of the Interior Ministry Parliament has passed a report encouraging the Government of India to detect and permanently block India’s VPN services. The Commission cited the security challenges that VPNs pose to enable cybercriminals to hide their identities online.
So, in a recent report entitled “Actions Taken by the Government on Recommendations / Observations in the 233rd Report on Atrocities and Crime Against Women and Children,” the Commission said the government Need to develop “Adjustment mechanism” By partnering with an international organization to permanently block VPNs in India.
Well, this isn’t the first time the Commission has opposed VPN services in India. The aforementioned report recently submitted to Rajya Sabha is a follow-up to the report submitted in March this year. However, in a recent report, the Commission encouraged the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs to work with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to permanently detect and block VPNs.
MeitY responded to the report, but the committee was not happy with it. According to reports, India’s MeitY mentions several authorities that allow the government to block public access to information.This is also “Interest in India’s sovereignty and integrity. India’s defense; national security; foreign friendships or; to prevent incitement to public order and morals, or a committee of recognizable crimes related to the above.”
Meanwhile, MeitY notified the Commission as follows: The request to block a VPN in India was based on Section 69A of IT Law., Authoritarian groups can start the process according to the rules specified in the section above. However, apart from this, the organization did not directly respond to the proposal to permanently block VPN services in India.
In addition to demanding that VPNs be permanently blocked in India, the Commission has called on the government to set up more cyber forensic labs in India to combat cybercrime. It also encouraged the Government of India to update the Indian Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) course on cybercrime.
