In 2024, the Indian government banned more social media URLs than ever before. Sources report that officials blocked more than 28,000 URLs because they were considered harmful. Reportedly, URLs associated with pro-Khalistan separatist movements, hate speech, and material seen as a danger to public safety and national security were among the restricted materials.
The government has the authority to restrict access to material it deems detrimental to the country, as stated in Section 69A of the Material Technology Act. This section specifies the particular criteria for restricting content.
With more than 10,000 URLs banned each, Facebook (now Meta) and X (previously Twitter) were the social media networks hit worst by content takedowns. The number of URL removals was equally high on other networks like WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube.
The report said, “Since 2021, around 10,500 URLs related to the Khalistan referendum have been blocked under section 69 (A) of the IT Act. Also, many mobile apps launched for spreading the Khalistan referendum were blocked by the department concerned… Around 2,100 URLs related to the PFI (Popular Front of India) were blocked under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act.”
Number of Blocked Accounts
There have been 28,079 unique URLs blacklisted by the government across all platforms in the last three years. At 10,976 URLs, Facebook had the most blockages, followed by X (previously Twitter) at 10,139. Here is a full breakdown:
“Probe has revealed that most of the blocked Facebook URLs were used to take users to third party websites or app stores from where they were either directed to download android package kit, or WhatsApp groups to fraud them through trading, investment or work from home type frauds,” according to the study.
After advice from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government restricted the URLs because of concerns that they may contain material that could undermine India’s independence and sovereignty. The advice below was derived from sources within the intelligence community.
