Exclusive: Centre's Online Content Blocking Orders Triple Amid Surge In AI Content

New Delhi: The Centre's online content blocking orders have nearly tripled since 2023, reaching 31,000 between January and September 2026, as authorities respond to the spread of AI-generated content, deepfakes, online fraud and misleading information that has the potential to cause a threat to public order, officials familiar with the matter told NDTV.The government issued around 12,000 blocking orders in 2023 and more than 12,000 in 2024, before the figure rose to 22,000 in 2025, according to people familiar with the matter. The 2026 tally represents an increase of nearly 35% over the corresponding period in 2025."The increase in blocking orders has been particularly pronounced during national security-related episodes and with the advent of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which has made the spread of misleading content easier," a person familiar with the matter told NDTV.NDTV sent a questionnaire to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology but did not receive a response immediately.The government uses Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to direct online intermediaries, including Meta, X and Google, to block public access to specified content on grounds including national security, public order and the sovereignty and integrity of India. The Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009, prescribe the process for issuing such directions, including emergency action.Parliamentary data show a rise in blocking activity over the years. In a Lok Sabha reply in August 2023, the ministry reported that 2,799 URLs were directed to be blocked in 2018, 3,635 in 2019, 9,849 in 2020, 6,096 in 2021 and 6,775 in 2022.In another Lok Sabha reply on March 29, 2023, the government said 30,310 URLs had been directed to be blocked between 2018 and March 15, 2023. Authorities had examined 41,172 URLs submitted by nodal officers in ministries, departments and state governments.A Rajya Sabha reply on December 8, 2023, put the number of URLs blocked between January 2018 and October 2023 at 36,838, including 7,502 in the first ten months of 2023.Of these, X, formerly Twitter, accounted for 13,660 URLs, followed by Facebook with 10,197, YouTube with 5,759 and Instagram with 3,023. Another 4,199 URLs were categorised under other platforms and services. The figures included accounts, channels, pages, applications, webpages and websites.The government's blocking powers came into focus during Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.During the operation, authorities directed the blocking of more than 1,400 URLs, according to official statements. The content included material described by the government as false or misleading, anti-India and inflammatory towards the armed forces.Blocking action also drew attention during protests associated with the Cockroach Janta Party in 2026. The party's July 20 mobilisation over examination paper leaks was followed by action by authorities citing law-and-order concerns. A subsequent protest call for October 10 in Delhi also prompted preventive measures and communications relating to online content.Section 69A blocking directions are distinct from notices issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, which concerns intermediary liability and due diligence obligations.During the farmers' protests in February 2021, the government also directed platforms to block accounts and URLs associated with the agitation, including those linked to Kisan Ekta Morcha and The Caravan magazine. Authorities said the directions followed requests from designated nodal officers under the prescribed rules.The use of blocking powers has faced legal challenges over the grounds for restrictions, the blocking of entire accounts rather than individual posts, and the procedures followed before orders are issued.The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 69A and the 2009 Blocking Rules in a 2015 decision, noting that the provision was limited to specified grounds under Article 19(2) of the Constitution and that the rules provided safeguards, including written reasons for blocking directions.In 2022, Twitter challenged government blocking orders, arguing that some lacked adequate reasons, were disproportionate or had been issued without proper notice. The Karnataka High Court dismissed the challenge in June 2023.In 2025, X separately challenged the government's use of Section 79(3)(b) and the Sahyog portal to facilitate content takedown notices, arguing that the mechanism bypassed safeguards under Section 69A.