New Delhi, In a recent parliamentary disclosure, Information Technology (IT) Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar revealed that the government has blocked a total of 36,838 Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) between 2018 and October 2023. The decision to block these URLs was made under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, granting the government authority to issue such directives in the interest of sovereignty, defense, security, friendly relations, or public order.
The data presented by Minister Chandrasekhar outlined the following yearly breakdown:
– 2018:2,799 URLs blocked
– 2019: 3,635 URLs blocked
– 2020:9,849 URLs blocked
– 2021:6,118 URLs blocked
– 2022:6,935 URLs blocked
– 2023 (till October):7,502 URLs blocked
Among the platforms affected, X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, topped the list with 13,660 URLs blocked, reflecting an upward trend over the past five years. The figures for other major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube showed varying numbers without a clear trend.
The disclosure has sparked some controversy, with discrepancies noted in the reported numbers, particularly in comparison to data provided in an RTI response earlier in June 2022. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology clarified its stance, emphasizing adherence to prescribed procedures and safeguards in issuing URL-blocking directions.
