India, Jan. 12 -- A social media post attributed to Proton VPN's general manager, David Peterson, and aimed at residents of Jammu and Kashmir has sparked controversy over privacy tools and foreign influence in a sensitive security theatre. The message, widely shared online, reportedly advised users on how to disguise VPN applications on their phones to evade police checks being carried out under local regulations. Critics say that, in a conflict-affected region under active security protocols, instructions framed around evading checks can function as operational interference, wrapped in the language of digital rights.

Proton VPN has not been accused, based on the circulated screenshots and reposts, of building a new circumvention feature...