The number of online content blocking orders issued by the Indian government has doubled over the past year, reaching approximately 24,300 by April 2026. This surge is driven by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and various other ministries using Section 69A of the IT Act to combat an explosion of AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation on social media platforms. With over 60% of these orders targeting X (formerly Twitter), the government aims to maintain national security and public order, though the trend has sparked intense debate among civil society groups regarding digital censorship and transparency.
The dramatic increase in digital censorship highlights the government’s struggle to keep pace with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. Senior ministry officials noted that while annual blocking orders averaged around 6,000 as recently as 2023, the sheer volume of “unlawful” content—ranging from doctored celebrity videos to fake political endorsements—has necessitated a more aggressive stance.
Analysis of the data reveals that X bore the brunt of the enforcement, accounting for 60% of all blocked URLs. This was followed by Meta’s platforms (Facebook and Instagram) at 25%, and YouTube at 5%. A significant peak in these enforcement actions occurred during “Operation Sindoor” in mid-2025, which saw a surge in controversial social media posts.
To address the speed of viral misinformation, authorities have increasingly utilized “emergency clauses” under the Information Technology Rules. These provisions allow the government to bypass standard committee hearings for immediate takedowns, provided they are ratified within 48 hours. Furthermore, recent 2026 amendments to the IT Rules have drastically reduced the compliance window for platforms, requiring them to remove flagged content within just three hours.
However, the scale of these orders has sparked debate among legal experts and digital rights advocates. Critics express concern that the frequent use of emergency powers and the lack of transparency in the blocking process may undermine the procedural safeguards established by the Supreme Court. While the government maintains that these measures are essential for protecting the country’s sovereignty in an era of AI-driven deception, the doubling of blocking orders represents a major shift in India’s digital governance.
