2.98 lakh URLs sent for takedown; I4C flags scams, CSAM and other unlawful content
Government departments requested removal of nearly 2.98 lakh URLs from social media platforms. States accounted for the majority of these takedown requests, sending 2.44 lakh URLs. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre flagged over 51,000 URLs related to various scams. This action follows widespread student protests and content blocking reports on social media. Government rules were amended…
Nearly 3 lakh URLs were directed to social media platforms for takedown between March and July 2026, with states responsible for 82% of the requests, according to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Fact Check unit. The government's fact-checking body revealed that Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) submitted 51,000 URLs, primarily related to cyber, infrastructure, and stock-investment scams.
The remaining 2.44 lakh URLs were requested by states, covering a range of unlawful content, including transnational financial frauds, Child Sexual Abuse Material, and offenses against women and children.
The Fact Check unit addressed claims that Meta utilized automated systems to block content to adhere to the three-hour government takedown requirement. They labeled these reports as misleading, stating that the API integration with Meta occurred in 2025 at Meta's request. The government amended the IT Intermediaries Rules 2021 in February 2026 to expedite the removal of unlawful content, reducing the timeframe from 36 hours to three hours.
The unit emphasized that the sheer volume of content posted online necessitated government intervention. With 600 million users in India generating up to 78,703 items every 68 seconds, it was reasonable to expect that, on average, one item may not be lawful. The state and its agencies could not abdicate their responsibilities and permit lawlessness in cyberspace. Only authorized officers, as notified by the relevant ministry or state government, could submit requests through Sahyog for unlawful content removal.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
