Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Cyber and Information Security (CIS) Division to examine lesser-known mobile applications used by terror networks in India, and recommend regulatory action, including possible bans on such platforms. The directive comes amid growing concerns over the use of encrypted apps that allow operatives to coordinate activities while bypassing Indian oversight.
Pahalgam terror attack
The issue gained prominence during investigations into the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, when security agencies discovered that local overground operatives were relying heavily on encrypted apps to communicate.
The CIS Division, established in 2017, is tasked with cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and information security. Sources said Shah instructed CIS to work with central agencies to identify apps that may pose security risks. In addition, he has proposed the creation of a multi-agency platform, similar to the Intelligence Bureau’s Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), to bring together representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and IT, DRDO, defence, and academic institutions to recommend technical and legal solutions, including market restrictions or operational bans for unsafe apps.
Investigations reveal that both domestic and foreign-based terror operatives have increasingly relied on encrypted platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Zangi, BiP, and Snapchat to evade law enforcement.
BiP and Zangi Messenger
For example, gangster-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, picked up by the FBI in April from the U.S., habitually employed such apps for secret coordination. In a 2024 grenade assault in Chandigarh, the accused Rohan Masih interacted with Passia initially through Instagram and then shifted to Zangi Messenger, BiP Messenger, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. All such platforms have their servers outside India, making it difficult for the government to monitor them.
Shah also asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation and MHA’s Internal Security Division to review compliance among helicopter operators, particularly in cases of accidents linked to breaches of standard operating procedures.