1 blocking order every 68 seconds: Centre’s takedown orders to social media firms

New Delhi: Nearly 1.95 lakh directions to restrict or remove online content from Instagram, Facebook and YouTube were issued between March and July this year by the Centre, according to a report by The Indian Express.

If accurate, that works out to an average of nearly 1,275 directions a day, roughly one every 68 seconds.

The sharp rise in content-blocking directions came during a period that also witnessed student protests in Delhi over alleged examination leaks. The protests began at Jantar Mantar in early June and were called off on July 25 following the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, along with YouTube, saw a significant number of posts and videos removed during the five-month period.

Content restrictions involving Meta platforms were processed through a mechanism linked to the Sahyog portal, operated under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The platform’s directions were used to initiate action seeking the removal or restriction of content.

Students participating in the protests relied heavily on social media to mobilise supporters, coordinate gatherings and share updates about the movement. With limited coverage of the protests in sections of the mainstream English and Hindi media, social media became an important channel for circulating information and videos related to the demonstrations.

The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, had witnessed large-scale student mobilisation in the capital and generated significant attention online.

Earlier this month, Meta apologised for the temporary removal of PM Narendra Modi's post, as well as for failures ranging from child sexual abuse content to deepfakes and boosting certain content by being paid "a lot of money", government sources had earlier said.

The government had also served a notice to Meta over alleged child sexual abuse material in paid advertisements on Instagram, and the recent meetings have seen the US giant being questioned on issues, such as child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, safeguards for verified and prominent accounts, algorithmic bias, and compliance with Indian laws.