SRINAGAR – The ‘district’ administration in Kupwara area of the Indian-held Jammu Kashmir has issued a circular to register all WhatsApp groups in an attempt to prevent ‘rumour-mongering’ in the troubled region.
The government officials said that the admins of each group would be held responsible for all posts made in the group. “The creator of any particular WhatsApp group will have to fill in a form at the district magistrate’s office. In the form, he will have to provide names, mobile numbers and location of all members of the group,” said a spokesperson for the National Informatics Centre in Kupwara.
The registration of a group – old or new – would have to be done in 10-day time. The spokesperson also said that a government representative might also have to be added to the WhatsApp group as an admin. The circular spoke of the registration of what it termed ‘WhatsApp news groups,’ the official clarified that the restriction would apply to all groups.
The Indian government had imposed a blackout on mobile internet in the troubled area after clashes between the Indian armed forces and Kashmiri protestors. The area had seen protests after the molestation of a teenager by the Indian security personnel. The mobile internet blackout had been aimed at curbing the spread of ‘inflammatory’ messages that could spark further tension in the area.
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