India blocks critical X accounts under IT law

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 20 March 2026 |  JP Asia Desk

Several X accounts critical of the government were withheld in India after takedown orders under Section 69A of the IT Act, platform notices said on March 18. Rights groups and opposition figures called the moves censorious; the ministry has not replied.

Summary

NEW DELHI — Several social media accounts critical of the Indian government have been withheld within India following takedown orders issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, according to platform notifications sent to affected users on March 18.

The accounts, many operating anonymously, had posted memes, satire, and commentary targeting government policies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the weeks leading up to the restrictions. While blocked domestically, the content remains accessible to users outside India.

Digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation described the move as “alarming,” stating that independent reporting indicated the takedowns targeted political and satirical speech rather than clearly unlawful content.

Critics warn of growing censorship trend

Opposition leaders and activists have raised concerns about the implications of the action. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate called the development an “extremely dangerous trend,” accusing authorities of determining what constitutes acceptable speech online and suppressing criticism of the prime minister.

The affected accounts reportedly include handles with large followings, though many are pseudonymous. Indian publication The Caravan said one of its posts, which excerpted a published article, was also withheld under Section 69A provisions.

Legal safeguards under scrutiny

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not publicly responded to queries about the takedowns. In recent weeks, additional posts on platforms including Instagram have also been restricted within India for content critical or satirical of the government, without direct communication to users in some cases.

The Internet Freedom Foundation noted that the Supreme Court upheld Section 69A in the Shreya Singhal v. Union of India ruling based on procedural safeguards, including written justifications and avenues for legal challenge. The group argued that opaque implementation undermines those protections.

Reports suggesting that the government may allow multiple ministries to issue takedown orders directly, rather than routing them through the IT ministry, have further intensified concerns among civil society groups about decentralization of censorship powers.

Users vow to challenge restrictions

Some affected users have indicated plans to contest the restrictions legally. Independent content creators whose accounts were withheld said they would continue to challenge the orders and publish content accessible internationally.

Others expressed concern that domestic audiences are being cut off from dissenting viewpoints, with some users noting that their posts remain visible globally but require virtual private networks to access within India.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The use of legal provisions to restrict online speech highlights how governments can leverage platform compliance mechanisms to shape digital discourse. For Pakistani journalists, it underscores the importance of transparency in takedown processes, legal safeguards, and the need to document and challenge opaque censorship practices affecting online media.

ATTRIBUTION: Information cited from publicly available reporting by The Hindu (March 19, 2026) and a public statement issued by the Internet Freedom Foundation (March 19, 2026).

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.