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19 August 2026

Congress criticism of social media blocking orders

The topic addresses the constitutional tension between government regulatory powers under the IT Act and the fundamental right to freedom of speech, which is a recurring theme in GS2 and GS3 governance and security modules.

1 min read Day 10 of 10 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Reports indicate approximately 1.95 lakh social media blocking orders were issued between March and July.
  • Concerns raised regarding the automation of censorship processes and the reduction of takedown response times to three hours.
  • Allegations suggest that blocking orders are frequently applied to content related to student protests and public dissent.
  • Debate exists regarding the balance between government regulatory authority over digital platforms and the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.
  • Issues highlighted include the potential for selective enforcement of content moderation policies and the impact on journalists and content creators.

Part of a longer story

This is day 10 of 10 in Regulation of AI-generated political content and deepfakes, which has been running since 2 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Examine the constitutional validity of government-mandated social media blocking orders in the context of Article 19(1)(a) and the reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2). 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The rapid automation of content moderation and the increase in takedown notices pose significant challenges to digital democracy. Discuss the need for a transparent, judicial-oversight-based mechanism for regulating online content in India. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Under which section of the Information Technology Act, 2000, is the government empowered to issue directions for blocking public access to information through any computer resource?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-08-19/congress-criticism-of-social-media-blocking-orders