Virtual Private Network (VPN) service provider ExpressVPN has announced that it removed its Indian-based VPN servers, slamming the April 29 directions of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
Under the new directions, service providers will have to store users' names, IP addresses assigned to them, usage patterns and other data. ExpressVPN said that the directions are "incompatible with the purpose of VPNs, which are designed to keep users' online activity private".
The reason behind the removal of the India-based servers is not just a policy-based decision for ExpressVPN. The VPN service said that their servers are specifically designed to not store logs.
The VPN service provider said in a blogpost, "Data centers are unlikely to be able to accommodate this policy and our server architecture under this new regulation, and thus we will move forward without physical servers in India".
This decision by ExpressVPN comes after several (VPN) service providers criticised CERT-In's recent directions. Netherlands-based virtual private network (VPN) provider Surfshark even said that it is exploring the possibility of legally challenging directions.
The Union government came out with clarifications, wherein it stated that the directions will not apply to enterprise and corporate VPNs. Also, the criticisms did not sit well with the Indian government, and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar had warned VPN providers that if they do not follow the directions then they are free to terminate their businesses in the country.
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