Most of the apps are communication platforms that allow encrypted messaging, which the government said has been used by terror organisations in the region. Officials, including Jammu & Kashmir Police, had initially also recommended that the popular messaging platform Snapchat be included among these apps, but the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ultimately did not include it. The other banned apps include Threema, a messaging app that requires a paying subscription to use. Other blocked apps are Crypviser and BChat, which say on their websites that they use blockchain technology to encrypt messages sent by users. Wickr Me is also a messaging app owned by Amazon Web Services that will not be available after 2023.

Source: The Hindu May 01, 2023 06:50 UTC