New Delhi: The Union government has issued a series of takedown orders to social media platforms X and Instagram, directing them to remove posts that satirise, criticise, or mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as content critical of the government’s recently introduced University Grants Commission (UGC) equity regulations. The move has sparked concerns among digital rights advocates and political groups over freedom of expression and transparency in content moderation.
According to a review of takedown notices posted by affected users, several posts have been withheld in India over the past month. These include a remark by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia referring to a viral mistranscription of a Sanskrit subhashita by Prime Minister Modi, criticism regarding the alleged targeting of minorities in India, and two animated satirical cartoons depicting the Prime Minister. While the exact number of orders remains unclear, dozens of such posts appear to have been affected.
Social media companies typically comply with such government directives by making the posts invisible to users within India while keeping them accessible in other countries. However, the full scope of the takedowns is difficult to determine because the orders are confidential. Authorities issue many of these directives under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which allows the government to block online content in the interest of national security, public order, or other specified grounds.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not respond to queries seeking clarification about the takedown notices. Similarly, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, and X did not comment on the matter.
Data released by Meta indicates a significant rise in localized content restrictions. According to the company’s transparency data, takedowns limited to specific regions tripled during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period two years earlier, indicating a growing trend of government-directed content moderation.
Digital news platform The Wire was among those affected. Two satirical music videos featuring the Prime Minister were reportedly targeted with takedown notices on both X and Instagram. When the outlet’s founding editor, Siddharth Varadarajan, reposted one of the satirical cartoons, the repost was also removed following government orders.
Opposition party Congress also raised concerns, alleging that nine AI-generated posts it had published in February were taken down by social media platforms.
Industry sources say that while certain orders issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act are technically not binding, platforms have little option but to comply due to recently tightened timelines that require action within two to three hours of receiving a notice.
Critics have argued that the process lacks transparency and due process. Pranesh Prakash, founder of the Centre for Internet and Society, described the takedowns as “unconstitutional,” claiming that affected users are not given prior notice or an opportunity to respond.
Meanwhile, several accounts have reportedly been withheld in India without clear explanations. These include an account belonging to Hindu activist Sarthak Bhagat, who has over 2.7 lakh followers and recently protested the killing of a 26-year-old man during Holi celebrations in Delhi. Another account, @woke_kashmiri, with more than two lakh followers, was also blocked domestically. Both accounts had posted content critical of the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
