People in Jammu and Kashmir have experienced the longest internet shutdown in a democracy.
Over the weekend, finally, the people are being allowed back online, but with some major restrictions. After SMS services were started for Kashmir on January 1, 2020, the state authorities started allowing limited 2G access and broadband access starting January 15 to select institutes in a few areas.
This time, it has issued orders to restore 2G internet access, to initially 301 websites across the region of Jammu and Kashmir, including a handful of news outlets, banking sites, travel booking services, education-related websites, music and video streaming services, and select news sites.
The authorities have added over 150 new websites to the previous "whitelist", that include over 50 news websites and search engines, all of which were not present on the first edition of this list.
News organisations that have been whitelisted include most mainstream Indian newspapers as well as foreign publications like CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.
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According to a home department's order, network connectivity is restricted to the slow 2G speed, and access is only allowed to websites that are named on the government-approved “whitelist”.
“Access shall be limited to whitelisted sites and not to any social media applications allowing peer to peer communication and Virtual Private Network Application,” the order notes, also explaining that 2G data services are allowed on both post-paid and pre-paid mobile SIM cards, if the holders of the latter are those “whose credentials have been verified as per the norms applicable for the post-paid connections.”
It also also states that 2G data services will be allowed on both post-paid and pre-paid mobile SIM cards, provided that the holders of the latter are those “whose credentials have been verified as per the norms applicable for the post-paid connections.”
Popular Hindi and Urdu news sites, including important news platforms like the Indian Express, Newslaundry, FirstPost, Frontline and hundreds of other newspapers, portals and TV channels in Jammu and Kashmir and outside aren't yet made available. And since YouTube remains banned, all video news channels also remain blocked.
Popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter are also not yet accessible.
As per the order, these restrictions are effective until January 31.
In August 2019, the government blocked the internet access in the region with an intention to maintain law and order after it scrapped the Article 370 of the constitution that stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy.
The shutdown, like many others in the country that took place in 2019, has cost India billions of dollars.
According to the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), the agency working on digital rights, 96.8% of the people in the region depend on mobile internet. The partial lift should give a sense of relief to many, despite still leaving many others in the region without connectivity.
After the list of 301 websites was published, this marks partial restoration of a limited form of online connectivity for the region since the abrogation of Article 370.
However. critics argued that the restrictive connectivity still counts as an internet shutdown.
Earlier this January, India’s apex court ruled that indefinite internet shutdowns are against the telecommunication companies' rules of the country, and authorities should have to inform the court about the duration and conditions of the internet shutdown before enforcing it.
While officials have relaxed their grip on the internet restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, many people living in the region still don’t have uninterrupted online access.
