Sat Mar 29 18:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Indian Government Sends Hundreds of Takedown Notices to X, Sparking Censorship Debate

**NEW DELHI, March 29, 2025** – The Indian government has issued over 66 takedown notices to X (formerly Twitter) in the past year, demanding the removal of content critical of Union Ministers and government agencies, according to court documents obtained by The Hindu. Nearly one-third of these notices targeted posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and his son Jay Shah, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

These notices are part of a broader government campaign targeting over 110,000 pieces of content across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, citing concerns about deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, financial fraud, and “misleading and false information.” The targeted content originates from political parties, news outlets, and individual users both domestically and internationally.

One notable instance involved AI-generated content depicting Jay Shah in a negative light. While one debunking post remained, another was removed by the user. Other notices targeted videos critical of the Home Ministry and a video featuring Prime Minister Modi with a sarcastic caption. Despite some content remaining online, the government insists these notices under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, are warnings, not outright censorship orders, emphasizing shared liability with platforms if posts are challenged in court.

The government’s use of the SAHYOG portal, described by X as a “censorship portal,” for issuing these notices has raised concerns about due process and transparency. While the government claims SAHYOG is still in the trial phase, documents reveal plans to expand its use to include cryptocurrency exchanges and state-level law enforcement agencies. Police officials confirmed low compliance rates with Section 79(3)(b) notices, with only about 5% resulting in takedowns, and a preference for directly contacting platforms. In contrast, platforms like WhatsApp have demonstrated higher compliance, particularly in terrorism cases, though this often involves metadata rather than message content.

The revelation of these notices, previously obscured due to X’s halt in publishing takedown request details, has emerged within ongoing legal battles between X and the Indian government, fueling a debate about online censorship and freedom of expression in India.

Read More