India expands censorship powers, lets lower officials demand takedowns
2 days ago
- #censorship
- #social-media
- #India
- India has expanded its censorship powers by allowing lower-level officials to demand social media takedowns through the Sahyog platform.
- The Sahyog platform, launched in October 2024, extends takedown authority to federal, state, and district-level officials, bypassing previous Supreme Court safeguards.
- Since its launch, Sahyog has been used to demand the removal of content from 3,465 URLs across nearly 300 requests.
- The government leverages Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to enforce takedowns, circumventing procedural safeguards established under Section 69a.
- Major platforms like Meta, Google, and LinkedIn have complied with Sahyog, while X (formerly Twitter) has resisted, calling it a 'censorship portal'.
- Takedown requests have surged during crises, such as the Kashmir conflict, targeting journalists, news outlets, and even satirical posts.
- Critics argue Sahyog enables unchecked censorship, with opposition-ruled states also using it to suppress dissent.
- The lack of transparency and judicial oversight raises concerns about freedom of speech in India.