Explained: What is new VPN rule of Indian govt that may affect user’s privacy?

New Delhi: In the latest development to strengthen cybersecurity in India, the government of India has brought a rule for the Virtual Private Network (VPN) or cloud service providers. The new rule was issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In), working under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The rule demands the VPN and cloud service providers to store the ”extensive and accurate” data of users for five years.

What does the new rule say?

The new rule says the VPN providers have to keep a record of their customer names, physical addresses, email ids, phone numbers, and the reason behind they are using the service. The companies also need to store the data of all IP addresses issued to a customer and their general IP addresses.

The government also made a provision for punitive action in case the companies fail to furnish the information as per the directions.

According to media reports, the new rule was issued on April 28. The government has given 60 days to the companies before implementing the rule.

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for ”virtual private network”, which helps any user to hide their internet activities from law enforcement agencies, cybercriminals, websites or anyone. The VPN service providers create a virtual address for its user by jumping the signal off multiple servers. This makes the real user an anonymous person.

How will the new rule of government affect users?

Notably, the government has not disclosed how it will use the users’ VPN data. So far, it is clear that the government’s rule will help the cyber security authorities to easily crack down on those who are involved in illegal activities by hiding their internet footprint with the help of VPNs. The government will also be able to take action against those who access illegal websites, games, and other things that are banned in India.

The new rule is being considered to be a move of the government to suppress the dissent against it coming out.