Changing digital strategy: The trail that began with over 40 virtual SIMs in Pulwama moved through gaming chats and encrypted apps and has now reached porn website chats, to maintain contact while evading surveillance
M. Riyaz Hashmi | New Delhi
Security agencies are once again facing a new method of digital communication being used by terror networks in Jammu and Kashmir. According to senior security sources, terror handlers are now using porn website chat rooms, anonymous messaging services, and some specialised secure apps to maintain contact. These channels are reportedly being used to reach out to potential recruits in the Valley and maintain contact with them.
According to security sources, some porn websites offer direct chat facilities. Investigating agencies have learnt that terror handlers are using these facilities to contact potential recruits. Recent information has also brought to light some specialised messaging apps that offer features designed to keep conversations private. Security agencies are monitoring activities involving such platforms.
Porn Website Chat Rooms Also Under Security Agencies’ Scanner
According to senior security sources, investigations have identified porn platforms that offer live chat facilities. These features are generally designed to allow users to communicate with one another. Terror handlers are reportedly using the same facility to contact potential recruits. Security agencies are monitoring activities on these websites and some other digital platforms because of the privacy-related features they offer.
Before Porn Sites, Gaming App Chats Were Used for Contact
In July 2025, security officials said that the chat facilities of online war games were being used by terror organisations and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, to contact potential recruits in Jammu and Kashmir.
At the time, security agencies had identified four such cases. One of those involved a minor. According to officials, his gaming companion based across the border was allegedly trying to influence him towards radicalisation. He was later handed over to his family, officials said. Officials said the communication facilities available on these gaming apps were being used for purposes beyond gaming.
10 People Already Detained Over Misuse of Encrypted App
An action by the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Counter-Intelligence branch in July 2025 is also significant in this context. The police detained 10 people following searches at different locations in the Valley. According to officials, they were accused of remaining in contact with handlers based in Pakistan through an encrypted messaging app and assisting terror activities. Digital devices and other evidence were also seized during the searches, officials said. The case was reported to be linked to a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA.
Use of Virtual SIMs Had Emerged in Pulwama
An important earlier link in this chain goes back to the investigation into the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Reports in 2020, citing investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security agencies, said that more than 40 virtual SIMs had been used by the network linked to the Pulwama attack. Forty CRPF personnel were killed in the attack. A virtual SIM is a mobile-number service that does not require a conventional physical SIM card. At the time, officials described it as a new means of communication between terrorists based across the border and their contacts.
Different Digital Channels Have Emerged Over Seven Years
The use of virtual SIMs in 2019, gaming chats and encrypted messaging apps in 2025, and the latest claims in 2026 regarding chats on porn websites represent different cases and circumstances. It would therefore not be appropriate to present them as a continuously changing strategy of a single terror organisation. However, according to senior security sources, investigations into terrorism-related cases have repeatedly brought to light the use of different digital channels that can pose additional challenges for surveillance and identification compared with conventional communication methods.
Tor-Based Apps Also on Security Agencies’ Radar
The latest information also mentions Tor-based messaging apps. Tor (a system designed to provide greater privacy to users by concealing their identity and the route of their internet connection) is also used for legitimate purposes, including privacy and avoiding censorship. Therefore, using Tor alone does not make a person suspicious. According to sources, investigations have identified some Tor-based messaging apps and other privacy-focused platforms. Information has also emerged about some apps that reportedly allow registration without a conventional mobile number or email address. In such cases, security agencies may have to rely on other evidence to establish a link between digital activity and the actual individual behind it.
Apps That Work on Slow Internet Also Identified
According to sources, information has also emerged about the use in the Valley of some messaging apps that can operate on slow internet connections. It is not necessary to make the technical details of such applications public. From a security perspective, the important point is that agencies are gathering information about the use of different types of digital platforms. It is also important to clarify that the use of encryption, Tor, or a VPN (Virtual Private Network) does not, by itself, make an individual a terrorist or a suspect. These technologies also have legitimate uses. The concern for security agencies is limited to cases where investigations allegedly establish a connection between the use of such technologies or platforms and terror contacts, recruitment, or other unlawful activities.
