India lifts social media ban in Kashmir

The Indian government on Wednesday lifted the social media ban in Jammu and Kashmir after seven months.

However, the restriction on high-speed internet remains in place until March 17.

The government said it issued the order after viewing the security situation in India’s only Muslim-majority state, which has remained tense after it was stripped off its special status last August.

“People would now be allowed unrestricted internet access with 2G speed,” the government order said, however this applies only to post-paid subscribers.

Many Kashmiris defied the ban by using virtual private networks (VPN) to mask their location while browsing social media.

The government will continue to operate designated internet kiosks.

Internet services were suspended across Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5 last year as part of a number of moves to quell popular protests in the disputed region, which is held by India and Pakistan in parts — and claimed by both in full.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.