Srinagar has recently witnessed a resurgence of the Blackberry Messenger (BBM) application within the terror network, as indicated by the interrogation of a prominent Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. This development has raised alarms among officials, who revealed that various communication applications, including some that are banned, are being utilized by members of the group.
Investigation Unfolds
Last month, the Srinagar police dismantled an LeT module that was reportedly working to establish bases outside Jammu and Kashmir. This operation led to the arrest of Abdullah, also known as Abu Hureira, a Pakistani national from Kasur, along with another terrorist, Mohammed Usman Jatt, and several Overground Workers (OGWs) in the region.
The case, given its interstate and international implications, has now attracted the attention of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). During the investigation, Abu Hureira disclosed that he and his associates were employing a range of applications for communication, including BBM, Element, Threema, and Dust, in addition to more mainstream platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, and Signal.
BBM first caught the eye of investigative agencies back in 2009, prompting the Indian government to threaten a ban unless its Canadian manufacturer, Research-In-Motion (RIM), established servers within India to facilitate access for security agencies. RIM complied, and servers were set up in 2011-12. However, in 2019, BBM transitioned to a paid service, BBM Enterprise, designed primarily for corporate use. Following the revelations from Abu Hureira, investigators are now tracing the owners of BBM Enterprise accounts linked to terrorist activities and plan to engage with the service provider regarding these accounts.
Cybersecurity Concerns
Despite ongoing surveillance of digital technologies in Jammu and Kashmir since 2016, concerns about the cybersecurity landscape continue to grow. Officials have expressed particular alarm over the use of highly secure messaging applications like Threema, a Swiss-based platform that offers complete anonymity, making it nearly impossible to trace its users as it does not require a phone number or email address.
In May 2023, the Indian government banned 14 messaging applications on the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs, including Element, a collaboration platform managed by London-based Element Creations Limited. This ban was specifically linked to the app’s use by terror modules in Jammu and Kashmir, which sought to circumvent traditional surveillance methods.
Similarly, applications like Dust, which emphasize ephemeral messaging that disappears shortly after being read, have come under increased scrutiny due to their potential to obstruct real-time intelligence gathering. These applications are frequently favored by terrorist organizations, which often utilize Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to access them.
The rise of the internet has transformed social media into a powerful tool for communication and information sharing, inadvertently aiding terrorist organizations in expanding their networks. Officials have also identified individuals posing as extreme nationalists who are affiliated with radical groups, including the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
On an international scale, the United Nations has consistently highlighted the exploitation of online platforms by terrorist groups for propaganda, recruitment, and incitement to violence. In response to these challenges, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2354 in 2017, which promotes a ‘Comprehensive International Framework’ advocating for legal measures, public-private partnerships, and the development of counter-narratives to combat the spread of terrorism online.
