Don't trust this. Multiple outlets confirm the Indian Express numbers on blocking orders. Nothing shows the article is misleading.
Why we say that›
PIB labels Indian Express article misleading on 1.95 lakh takedown orders
The raw counts of orders, the surge, the Instagram share and the three-hour rule all match independent reports. The reel offers no evidence that turns those facts into a misleading article.
Each visit, statement and document is real. None of them shows the article is misleading.
Reported 21 Aug 2026
Claims
6 true · 2 unchecked
- Couldn't check
The article is misleading.
What's actually true
We couldn't verify this claim with a reliable source. Multiple outlets confirm the Indian Express numbers on blocking orders and previous averages without calling the article misleading.
- Couldn't check
With 600 million users in India posting up to 78,703 items every 68 seconds, it is reasonable to expect that on average, one of these items may not be lawful.
What's actually true
We couldn't verify this claim with a reliable source. Scale of content is confirmed but the inference that unlawful items must appear on that schedule is an unproven assumption.
- True
Over half of the blocking orders were sent to Instagram which was a key protest platform; Oct 2024-25, daily takedown average was six, shows Sahyog.
What's actually true
Data accessed by Indian Express shows Instagram received over half the orders and prior average was six per day.
- True
That was the surge in state-backed directions seeking to restrict online content sent to Instagram, Facebook and YouTube between March and July this year, according to data accessed by The Indian Express.
What's actually true
Multiple reports confirm the surge in directions to those platforms in March-July 2026 per Indian Express data.
- True
The Indian Express reported that India sent around 1.95 lakh takedown notices to social media cos between Mar-Jul, that is a censorship notice every minute, with considerable censorship action on posts/accounts related to Jantar Mantar protests.
What's actually true
Indian Express data shows nearly 1.95 lakh orders in five months with action on Jantar Mantar protest posts.
- True
The takedown time was reduced to 3 hours from earlier 36 hours by an amendment in February 2026 to the IT Intermediaries Rules 2021.
What's actually true
February 2026 amendment to IT Rules cut the deadline from 36 hours to three hours.
- True
The API integration with Meta took place in 2025 at the request of Meta.
What's actually true
Meta requested and advanced API integration with Sahyog in 2025.
- True
During the period from March 2026 to July 2026, around 2.98 Lakh URLs were sent for takedown, out of which 2.44 lakhs were sent by states (82%).
What's actually true
Government data shows 2.98 lakh URLs sent with states responsible for 2.44 lakh or 82 percent.
The full story, from the sources›
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, through G.S.R. 120(E) dated February 10, 2026, introduced the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, effective February 20, 2026. ... Response times for certain actions in rule 3(1)(d) are reduced from 'thirty-six hours' to within three hours. - Gazette Tracker (2026-02-10) Meta Inc representing Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is getting API based Integration with Sahyog to enable real-time action. The process of API Integration is in the advanced stage and likely by the first week of April, 2025 will be live. ... Meta is testing an API-based integration with the Sahyog Portal. - Hindustan Times (2025-07-17) Meta is soon set to join Sahyog Portal ... Sources said that Meta is in the process of integrating the API necessary to onboard onto the Sahyog Portal. ... Meta Inc. representing Facebook, Instagram and Whats App, is getting API based Integration with Sahyog to enable real-time action. The process of API Integration is in the advanced stage and likely ... by the first week of April,2025 will be live. - Moneycontrol (2025-07-18) The amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, reduced the earlier 36-hour deadline for removing unlawful content to three hours. - Moneycontrol (2026-02-10) On February 10, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (“2026 Amendment Rules”), further amending the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021). ... Takedown of unlawful information upon receipt of actual knowledge [Rule 3(1)(d)] 36 hours → 3 hours. - argus-p.com (2026-02-20)
From primary sources · reporting
How it's framed (3)›
Sources (16)›
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Centre of mounting an unprecedented crackdown on online speech, citing data showing that nearly 1.95 lakh blocking orders were sent to social media platforms between March and July 2026.
The clarification by the government came after multiple media reports had earlier claimed that nearly 1.95 lakh blocking orders were sent to social media platforms between March and July this year.
An article claims that Meta has automated content blocking to comply with the governments three-hour takedown requirement, and that content blocks surged during the #Delhiprotests . #PIBFactCheck : ❌ The article is #Misleading .
Between March and July, there was one blocking order every 68 seconds, on an average ... This amounts to around 1,275 every day, nearly 1.95 lakh in just five months ... Meta-owned Instagram ... receiving nearly 1 lakh blocking orders during the five-month period, more than half of the total. ... Facebook received around 80,000 orders and YouTube about 15,000. ... between October 2024 and October 2025 to 19 online platforms sent through the Sahyog portal, translating to a daily average of six such orders a day
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, through G.S.R. 120(E) dated February 10, 2026, introduced the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, effective February 20, 2026. ... Response times for certain actions in rule 3(1)(d) are reduced from 'thirty-six hours' to within three hours
According to a report by The Indian Express, nearly 1.95 lakh blocking orders were sent to Instagram, Facebook and YouTube between March and July 2026. That works out to roughly one order every 68 seconds, or around 1,275 orders a day.
The amendment: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 . The new deadline: Content must now be removed within two to three hours , against the earlier window of 24 to 36 hours.
The amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, reduced the earlier 36-hour deadline for removing unlawful content to three hours
On February 10, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 (“2026 Amendment Rules”), further amending the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021). ... Takedown of unlawful information upon receipt of actual knowledge [Rule 3(1)(d)] 36 hours → 3 hours
Meta Inc representing Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is getting API based Integration with Sahyog to enable real-time action. The process of API Integration is in the advanced stage and likely by the first week of April, 2025 will be live. ... Meta is testing an API-based integration with the Sahyog Portal
Meta is soon set to join Sahyog Portal ... Sources said that Meta is in the process of integrating the API necessary to onboard onto the Sahyog Portal. ... Meta Inc. representing Facebook, Instagram and Whats App, is getting API based Integration with Sahyog to enable real-time action. The process of API Integration is in the advanced stage and likely ... by the first week of April,2025 will be live.
Nearly 3 lakh URLs were sent to social media platforms for takedown by government departments between March and July 2026, with states accounting for 82% of the requests ... Of the total URLs sent for takedown, 2.44 lakh, or 82%, came from states, while 51,000 were sent by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The I4C requests concerned cyber, infrastructure and stock-investment scams
Government departments flagged nearly 2.98 lakh URLs for takedown between March and July 2026, with states accounting for 82% of the requests. ... Of these, 2.44 lakh requests, or 82%, came from state governments, while the I4C flagged around 51,000 URLs over cybercrime, infrastructure threats and investment-related fraud.
Nearly 1.95 lakh blocking directions in five months raise urgent questions about transparency, due process and the constitutional limits of government control over online speech
The sharp rise in orders has made Sahyog an increasingly important part of Indias digital content regulation framework.
6 June 2026 – 25 July 2026 ... Caused by 2026 NEET paper leak and related student suicides ... Location Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, India ... Protests successful ... Resignation of Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan
Notes on this check (8)›
- Unavailable: video media
- Unavailable: audio track (photo/carousel)
- No speech transcript - analysis rests on caption, on-screen text, and frames.
- Dropped contradiction citations for "The article is misleading." because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "Over half of the blocking orders were sent to Instagram w…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 2 support citation(s) for "That was the surge in state-backed directions seeking to …" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 3 support citation(s) for "The Indian Express reported that India sent around 1.95 l…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
- Dropped 1 support citation(s) for "With 600 million users in India posting up to 78,703 item…" because the cited passages do not address the claim directly.
Checked against 12 sources · 21 Aug 2026
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