SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Modi-led Indian regime is systematically weaponizing digital technology to suppress dissent and instill fear among the Kashmiri people, human rights defenders have said.
According to Kashmir Media Service, since the revocation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019, India has expanded its surveillance network across the territory, turning digital repression into a tool of political control.
From widespread internet shutdowns to invasive monitoring of social media, the occupying regime has created a suffocating environment where Kashmiris’ every online move is watched.
Rights activists and journalists have complained that Kashmiris are living under multiple layers of digital surveillance. “Our phones are checked at checkpoints, workplaces, and even during random street searches,” said one Srinagar-based journalist.
“The authorities have access to our social media accounts, and even a single post criticizing the occupation can lead to arrest.”
Indian police and paramilitary forces
Indian police and paramilitary forces routinely seize mobile phones, scan private chats, and interrogate individuals over their online activity.
Several youth, students, and journalists have been booked under draconian laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) merely for sharing political opinions or reposting content that questions India’s occupation of Kashmir.
Observers note that the Indian government has granted sweeping powers to its agencies to track, detain, and prosecute social media users.
Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram have been pressured to comply with data requests from Indian authorities, allowing them to target Kashmiris expressing dissent.
Digital rights organizations, including Access Now and Amnesty International, have repeatedly warned that India’s blanket surveillance in IIOJK amounts to a violation of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and privacy.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression has also termed India’s digital clampdown in Kashmir as “disproportionate, discriminatory, and punitive.”
Kashmiris, human rights groups, and diaspora organizations have urged the global community to take urgent notice of India’s growing digital authoritarianism in the occupied territory.
They called upon the United Nations and international human rights watchdogs to pressure New Delhi to end its invasive surveillance practices and restore digital freedoms in occupied Kashmir.
