SOURCE: TIMES NOW
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a letter to all paramilitary forces including CRPF, ITBP, BSF, CISF, ITBP and NSG, has asked them to ban Facebook in forces as well as for ex-servicemen as they remain in touch with armed forces. In its letter, the Home Ministry after getting an e-mail from Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy asked to extend the ban of foreign apps in paramilitary forces as well.
Calling for the ban to be extended to the entire force like CRPF, ITBP and ex-servicemen too because they are generally in touch with our armed forces, the letter said that ideally, India should have its own apps like Facebook or Instagram to which no foreign country should have access.
‘India should have its own apps like Facebook or Instagram’
Citing security issues and leakage of sensitive data, the Indian Army had earlier directed all its officers and soldiers to delete 89 apps from their mobile phones including Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, PUBG, Instagram and more.
As per the Army’s notification, these apps have to be deleted by July 15.
“The directive has been issued because there has been an exponential increase in the number of military personnel being targeted online by intelligence agencies of Pakistan and China,” an officer told Times of India.
The list also includes the 59 China-linked apps that were blocked by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government recently.
As per the directive, those who fail to follow the order will have to face strict actions.
Indian Navy had banned 85 social media sites in February
India had banned 59 Chinese apps in the country claiming they were engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.”
This year in February, the Indian Navy had banned over 85 social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Signal and Telegram apart from a ban on the use of smartphones in warships, as well as on all the Naval establishments in the country after the arrest of seven serving personnel from various parts of the country found involved in espionage activities for Pakistan.
