Importantly, the concerns raised above are exactly the ones opined by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Shreya Singhal judgment. The Court heavily limited the scope of content takedowns, upholding freedom of speech. Unfortunately, the judgment’s direction is limited to Section 69A, hence, the requirement of this parallel regime. We are actively tracking trends of content takedown through our Free Speech Tracker. Support us in documenting these instances by reporting here: freespeech.sflc.in/ SFLC.in is also working to support individuals who have faced content blocking or takedowns through pro bono legal assistance via RightsLine. Those affected can report their concerns and seek immediate assistance here: rightsline.sflc.in #censorship #contentblocking @Aditi_muses @AroonDeep @TheDeshBhakt @IFEX @RSF_en @amnesty @IFJGlobal @zoo_bear @IndexCensorship @anishgawande @PunsterX

Under the amended rule, orders can only be issued by a senior officer. For civil authorities, this means an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary or its equivalent, or where such rank does not exist, a Director or equivalent officer, acting through a single corresponding officer in an authorised agency where applicable. In the case of police authorities, the power is restricted to officers not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police, specifically authorised by the Appropriate Government. On paper, this introduces a higher threshold of responsibility and accountability. But takedown directions can still be issued without prior judicial oversight, and there is no mandatory mechanism for independent review at the stage of issuance. This concentration of power raises concerns of overreach, particularly given the breadth of laws under which content may be deemed “unlawful.” #censorship #contentblocking

There are growing instances of content takedown orders being issued under Sections 69A and 79(3) of the IT Act. These orders reflect a trend of increasing executive control over content removal. The 2025 amendments to Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules have enabled this trend by introducing a parallel mechanism alongside the existing blocking regime. #censorship #contentblocking

India now has TWO parallel systems to take down content online. The IT Act has a "blocking" power under Section 69A. It lets the government order platforms to restrict content, but ONLY on narrow grounds and with a structured review process. #contentblocking #freespeech #censorship @IFEX @amnesty @RSF_inter

Your voice can disappear overnight, and no one is required to tell you why. ❌ A system of informal, decentralized censorship is emerging in India where the government can direct content removals without transparency or oversight. #contentblocking #freespeech

Content takedowns and automated blocking raise serious concerns for free speech online in India, including political speech. On May 8, the Tamil Nadu Police’s Cyber Crime Wing issued a takedown notice to X Corp, demanding the suspension of more than 20 accounts. The notice gave X Corp three hours to comply and threatened to revoke safe harbor protections under the IT Act if it did not comply. The window for public consultation on the Draft Amendments to the IT Rules is now closed, but the problem of content blocking persists. As such instances continue to rise, we are working to support affected individuals through pro bono legal assistance via RightsLine. Those who have faced content blocking or takedown can report it and seek immediate assistance at rightsline.sflc.in/. #ITRules2026 #Politicalspeech #contentblocking #freespeech

What remedies do users have when platforms wrongly restrict lawful speech? On May 10, @instagram temporarily blocked posts by @RahulGandhi. Although Instagram later restored the posts, the restriction reduced their reach and virality, directly affecting political speech. As platforms increasingly depend on opaque automated systems, they must answer critical questions around transparency, accountability, and users’ rights. @Meta @GoI_MeitY #ITRules #Contentblocking

Content blocking orders by @GoI_MeitY have doubled over the past year. 🛑 If implemented, the Draft Amendments to the IT Rules may drive these numbers even higher. You can push back against these changes by submitting your comments/feedback to MeitY. ✊ Write to: itrules.consultation@meity.gov.in 📩 Deadline: May 7, 2026 ⌛ If you or someone you know has faced content blocking, report it on rightsline.sflc.in/ to seek pro bono legal guidance and assistance on next steps. 📢 #ITRules2026 #ContentBlocking

#HearingUpdate #BlockingRules Supreme Court issues notice on @SFLCin’s legal challenge to Rule 16 of the Information Technology Blocking Rules of 2009. The rule extinguishes the possibility of providing hearing, reasons for blocking, or final order with regard to content posted online by a user. The petition also prays for a reading down of Rule 8 and Rule 9, which provide for the procedure for blocking information. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising appeared for SFLC.in and counsels Prasanth Sugathan, Arjun Adrian D’Souza and Syed Haroon assisted in the matter. @IJaising @PrasanthTweets @parasnsingh95 @arjunadriandsa @Haruined #SupremeCourtOfIndia #ITrules #contentblocking #FreedomOfSpeech

#ContentBlocking #indiasgotlatent @Youtube has taken down the ‘#IndiaGotLatent’ (Bonus EP 6) episode following the government's order after the #legal complaint. The government intervened in the matter pursuant to public outcry on “#obscene and #vulgar” comments passed in the episode. If you have faced any free speech violations, report it to us at freespeech.sflc.in/ #FreeSpeechTracker #India #samayraina #RanveerAllahabadia #ApoorvaMakhija #rebelkid #Beerbiceps #indiasgotlatent #freedomofspeech

On 6th Sept, @X restricted @ECISLEEPS’s account on temporary read-only mode for 2 days. During this time, the admin was unable to create new posts, repost content, or like posts. This measure was taken after they posted about safety issues for women in the state. The post was further removed from their account. If you have witnessed any such blocking or ban, report it through our Free Speech Tracker. Report a ban at: freespeech.sflc.in #contentblocking #contentban #SFLCin #India

The situations in Brazil and India highlight the complexities that social media platforms face amid socio-political contexts and overarching regulatory pressures. While X’s stance to protect freedom of speech in Brazil has led to a complete suspension of its operation in the country, India continues to witness an increasing trend of content takedown orders and account bans. Read SFLC.in’s blog here: sflc.in/xs-tussles-with-cont… (4/4) @elonmusk @GlobalAffairs #contentblocking #Accountsuspension #contentban #socialmediaban #fakenews #hatespeech

X had removed its existing legal representative from Brazil when the court had threatened the legal representative with arrest over non-compliance with takedown orders. Similarly, in India, in a letter to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India, Global Network Initiative recognized the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“Rules”) has provisions that enable “hostage taking” of legal representatives. (3/4) @elonmusk @GlobalAffairs #contentblocking #Accountsuspension #contentban #socialmediaban #fakenews #hatespeech

Recently the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered the suspension of @X in Brazil. This has occurred due to their failure to nominate a legal representative in Brazil. The dispute arose when a court order was issued to X to block accounts that spread fake news and hate speech and X refrained from doing so.  According to reports, the court also threatened to arrest the company’s legal representatives for non-compliance, prohibited X from disclosing details of the accounts that were blocked, and imposed hefty fines for non-compliance. SFLC.in has compared this recent suspension of X in Brazil with the X’s trend of content takedowns in India. Read more about Brazil’s suspension order: washingtonpost.com/world/202… (1/4) @elonmusk @GlobalAffairs #contentblocking #Accountsuspension #contentban #socialmediaban #fakenews #hatespeech

#ContentBlocking #YouTube Australia-based @abcnews has reported that @YouTube has blocked its documentary ‘Infiltrating Australia – India’s Secret War’ in India. The documentary is about the Indian government’s alleged role in spying on critics in Australia. @MIB_India ordered @YouTubeIndia under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Information Technology Act, 2000 without highlighting any specific reason. Read the full report: medianama.com/2024/08/223-in… If you have witnessed any such blocking or ban, report it through our Free Speech Tracker. Report a ban at: freespeech.sflc.in #contentblocking #contentban #SFLCin #India

#ContentBlocking #Youtube Another video of @theJuiceMedia has been blocked by @YouTube on its platform in India. This is the second video of the YT channel, titled "Honest Government Ad | the State of Democracy," which is blocked within this month. According to the notice sent to the channel, @YouTube has been asked to block it in India by a request received through a government agency. @SFLCin has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts, websites, and content. Please report any blocking cases you may have seen to us. Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention @SFLCin on social media platforms. #SFLCin #India #Comedy #Show #Blocked #ban #Remove #Content #Satire #Youtube #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfExpression #FreeSpeechMatters

#ContentBlocking #Youtube @YouTubeIndia has blocked a video on its platform. According to the notice sent to @thejuicemedia's YouTube channel, the video titled "Honest Government Ad | India" violates sections 153, 504, and 505 of the #IPC and Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to the #National Honour Act, 1971. The Ministry of Home Affairs, India, issued the blocking order. @SFLCin has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts, websites, and content. Please report any blocking cases you may have seen to us. Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention SFLC.in on social media platforms. #SFLCin #India #Comedy #Show #Blocked #ban #Remove #Content #Satire #Youtube #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfExpression #FreeSpeechMatters

#ContentBlocking #Alert According to media reports, an episode titled "#Indian Elections, #Trump & Red Lobster" of the comedy talk show "Last Week Tonight with #JohnOliver" did not make it to the screens in #India. The #video, which was uploaded yesterday, has 311k views on @YouTube . The show is not available on @JioCinema and #Youtube in India. To know more, visit: thenewsminute.com/news/jioci… It should be noted that in 2020, another #episode of the John Oliver show was #blocked. @SFLCin has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts, websites, and content. Please report any blocking cases you may have seen to us. Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention @SFLCin on social media platforms. #SFLCin #India #Comedy #Show #Blocked #ban #Remove #Content #Satire #JioCinema #HBO #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfExpression #FreeSpeechMatters

#ContentBlocking @ECISVEEP has directed @X to take down @BJP4Karnataka's post. However, the post is still #available on the platform. @SFLCin has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts and websites. Please report any blocking cases you may have seen to us. Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention SFLC.in on social media platforms to report a block. #SFLCin #ElectionCommissionOfIndia #Elections2024 #ElectionCommission #GeneralElectionNow #LokSabhaElections2024 #bjpkarnataka #Blocking

#ContentBlocking @X has #blocked the account of @KhaledBeydoun on its platform in India. SFLC.in has been reporting on the blocking of social media accounts and #websites. Please #report any blocking cases you may have seen to us. Send us an email at mail@sflc.in or mention @SFLCin on social media platforms. #SFLCin #Blocking #ITrules #TechPolicy #FreeSpeech #FreeSpeechMatters #India #Reports #Internet #digitalrights #X #twitter