Navy bans social media, smartphones within naval areas to curb cyber snooping

In an attempt to beef up surveillance and curb cyber snooping, the Indian Navy has issued orders to ban the use of social networking platforms by its personnel, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp within naval areas.

Along with the apps, the use of smartphones has also been disallowed onboard ships and naval airbases.

Navy has said that the ban on messaging apps, networking and blogging, content sharing, hosting, e-commerce sites is under promulgation.

The restriction has been imposed to prevent navy personnel from becoming a target of honey traps run by spies on social media and compromising on sensitive information pertaining to national security.

The order, dated December 27, comes days after seven Navy personnel were arrested from Vishakhapatnam for their alleged involvement in an espionage racket with links to Pakistan operating through Facebook. 

An operation was launched by the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Department in association with Central Intelligence Agencies and Naval Intelligence to probe a spy racket that has links with Pakistan.

Seven Navy personnel from Vishakhapatnam and a hawala operator for Mumbai were arrested after they allegedly passed on sensitive information like locations of naval ships and submarines to a Pakistani handler