Digital Rights Kashmir

Criticism, satire of PM, UGC regulations target of government takedowns on X, Instagram ✍️@AroonDeep thehindu.com/news/national/…

Every time you see this, remember it is not Porn It is our Authoritarian Government taking down another post criticising, mocking PM Modi

In the wake of the attack on Iran by the US and Israel on February 28, X was quickly flooded with disinformation by accounts sharing fake and repurposed videos. As the conflict has continued, the flood has only gotten worse. wired.com/story/fake-ai-…

Takedown orders surge on Meta amid crackdown on posts mocking Modi This week’s comic for @thenewsminute

The Oversight Board is calling on Meta to do more to allow users to identify AI-generated content during conflict situations. brnw.ch/21x0BHH #Meta #OversightBoard #AI #Iran #Israel

Students in Jammu & Kashmir faced serious hurdles in completing their NEET applications after mobile data, voice, and SMS services were suspended amid protests. With OTP-based verification required for exam registrations and online study platforms, many students risked missing crucial deadlines due to the connectivity restrictions. On 6 March 2026, SFLC.in wrote to the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, highlighting how internet shutdowns can disrupt students’ academic opportunities and urging immediate intervention. The letter requested alternative login mechanisms (such as email-based OTPs or offline registration centres) and deadline extensions for candidates in affected regions to ensure that students are not unfairly penalised. While the shutdown was lifted later the same day, the incident once again highlights how connectivity restrictions can have unintended consequences on students preparing for national-level competitive exams. #InternetShutdown #InternetShutdowns #KeepItOn #LetTheNetWork #AccessToInternet #DigitalRights #OnlineAccess #RightToInternet #InternetFreedom #ConnectivityMatters #DigitalAccess #AccessToInformation

Dozens of posts criticising, mocking PM Modi taken down under Sec 69A of IT Act thehindu.com/news/national/…

Narendra Modi Is Actively Censoring His Critics. Here’s the Proof. Because the MeitY issues these directives under strict confidentiality, evidence of the censorship has emerged directly from users publishing their takedown notices. @vizagvala✍️ thewire.in/government/nar…

⚠️ Update: #Iran's internet blackout is entering its twelfth day after 264 hours with connectivity still at 1% of ordinary levels. Meanwhile, the regime's spokesperson has confirmed observations pointing to a whitelisting system, stating that only the approved are given a voice.

I have written to the Hon’ble Union Minister for Education, Government of India, requesting extension of the NEET-UG 2026 application deadline. Many students from Kashmir Division have brought to my notice difficulties in completing their forms due to internet restrictions limited to 2G speed, including issues with OTP verification and submission. The request has been made keeping in view the genuine concerns of our students so that no aspirant is deprived of the opportunity to apply. I hope the Ministry will consider this matter sympathetically in the interest of students. @EduMinOfIndia

Social media handles of several news outlets based in Jammu and Kashmir were taken down on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) by Meta, which runs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, @peerashiq reports. thehindu.com/news/national/…

Internet services were affected in parts of Jammu and Kashmir amid protests over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, with large crowds assembling at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Sunday #Kashmir #JammuAndKashmir #InternetShutdown #InternetRestrictions

*STATEMENT: Escalating Digital Censorship in India* *New Delhi, February 28, 2026* The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) is concerned by a cluster of online blocking and takedown actions and ISP level service disruptions reported between 24–28 February 2026. Across these incidents, users and affected services face restrictions without clear, timely reasons and without access to the underlying orders needed to challenge state action by exercising their rights to obtain legal remedy. Developers reported severe, uneven disruption in access to Supabase across multiple Indian networks. Reporting indicates the disruption followed a government direction, with accounts suggesting use of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Yet there has been no public statement of the grounds, scope, or duration, and no accessible order for those impacted. Supabase has publicly stated that its domains became inaccessible due to a “ministry order”, and users have been pushed to workarounds such as alternative DNS or VPNs. In parallel, users on X (formerly Twitter) continue to receive “withheld in India” notices restricting specific posts within the country. Such notices usually do not provide the government order or its reasoning. Hence, for those who are being censored the basics of natural justice of a notice, opportunity for a hearing and remedy are delayed or absent. This is enabled by secrecy built into the blocking framework. Section 69A is implemented through the 2009 Blocking Rules, which contemplate a committee process and, where feasible, notice to intermediaries and identifiable originators. But they also impose “strict confidentiality” over requests and actions taken. When orders and reasons are secret by default, affected persons cannot test legality, necessity, proportionality, or factual errors except through protracted litigation. When in _Shreya Singhal v. Union of India_ (2015), the Supreme Court upheld Section 69A while relying on the existence of procedural safeguards and reasoned decisions, indicating that impacted users could approach court in writ remedies. However, due to the operational secrecy and providing copies of orders and notices those who are censored and prevented from obtaining judicial remedy. The February 2026 amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 further increase these risks. The substituted Rule 3(1)(d) requires intermediaries to remove or disable access within three hours of receiving “actual knowledge”, which can arise from a court order or a written “reasoned intimation” by authorised government officers. While the rule lists what a “reasoned intimation” should contain, the legal basis, statutory provision, nature of the unlawful act, and specific URL/identifier, the three-hour window pressures platforms to comply promptly which may often occur without any substantive assessment. These inherently opaque censorship practices are being accelerated through "Sahyog" portal. Developed by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Sahyog portal operates entirely without statutory footing, only being anchored in the IT Rules, 2021 that are created by executive notification. It functions as a censorship clearinghouse that deliberately bypasses the established, albeit weak, procedural safeguards of Section 69A. By routing automated takedown directives directly to intermediaries under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, the portal structurally excludes citizens and impacted users from the grievance process. We demand that the government introduce strictly judicially enforceable transparency requirements, publish all blocking orders, and restore the principles of natural justice to India's platform governance framework. Based on requests from our community we will also next week launch a rough public sheet in which social media users can input and add information on digital censorship.

The telco lobby is quietly pushing India towards mass surveillance. SIM Binding, GPS tracking, and if all this was not enough- an attack on net neutrality.

Are you an Indian journalist (or any Indian user) whose social media account has been blocked due to a government order? We may be able to help with pro bono support. Write to us at legal@internetfreedom.in

#Internet traffc in #Iran has dropped to effectively zero as of 18:45 UTC (22:15 PM local time), signaling a complete shutdown in the country, and disconnection from the global Internet. radar.cloudflare.com/traffic/ir?dat…

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show #Iran is now in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout; the incident follows a series of escalating digital censorship measures targeting protests across the country and hinders the public's right to communicate at a critical moment 📉

IFF calls on the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to recall the SIM Binding Direction issued on 28 November 2025. This direction mandates continuous linkage of app-based communication services like WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and others to a specific SIM card. 1/9 internetfreedom.in/iff-calls-on-d…

Across conflict zones, internet shutdowns are used as a tactic of war. Based on testimonies from Gaza and Sudan, our new report shows how shutdowns inflict psychological, economic, political, and societal damage. Read the report ➡️ accessnow.org/publication/in…

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