Documented evidence of systematic content censorship by the Modi government has emerged through an investigation by The Wire, revealing the mechanisms behind what critics call India's growing assault on digital free speech.
The investigation documents how the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) uses Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to issue blocking directives under strict confidentiality, creating what legal experts describe as "invisible censorship." Data from The Hindu shows Instagram and Facebook content deleted in response to government orders surged 300% between January-June 2025 compared to the same period in 2023.
In India, as across the subcontinent, scale and diversity make simple narratives impossible—and fascinating. The targets of censorship reveal a pattern: political cartoons, satirical videos, and commentary critical of government policy are being systematically removed from India's digital space, which serves over 750 million internet users.
Documented cases include the removal of cartoons by Satish Acharya depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi blindfolded, posts by journalist Sushant Singh and lawyer Prashant Bhushan criticizing Union ministers, and even The Wire's own satirical music videos. Content addressing India's diplomatic silence on Middle East conflicts and domestic policy critiques has also been targeted for removal.
Pranesh Prakash of the Centre for Internet and Society characterizes these orders as "unconstitutional," noting they provide minimal opportunity for users to contest decisions beforehand and lack public, reasoned justifications. Rule 16 mandates strict confidentiality, preventing affected parties from knowing which entity ordered removal, the specific legal grounds, or available appeal procedures.
