Indian Government banned some messenger apps due to their use by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir to communicate with supporters in Pakistan and influence the youth in the region with terrorist propaganda.
Apps include Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second line, Zangi, Threema etc. The messaging apps were found installed on smartphones that were recovered from terrorists killed in operations
Apps like MediaFire and Element are used worldwide because they offer heavy encryption which gives privacy and anonymity to users making it difficult to access the content. Element is even an OPEN-SOURCE app.
Indian government found that the apps did not have representatives in India. Agencies tried to contact app management to seek information, but there was no office in India to reach out to.