UPSC-Relevant News Items

1. 'Disturbing Public Order' accounts for 50% of MHA's takedown notices to X Corp over 20 months

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Summary:

• • The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued 91 takedown notices to X Corp, flagging over 1,100 URLs between March 2024 and November 2025 using the Sahyog portal.
• • Over half (566) of the flagged URLs were cited for the offense of 'disturbing public order,' making it the leading category for content restriction requests.
• • The largest single takedown occurred on May 13, 2024, involving 115 links flagged for allegedly spreading misinformation aimed at influencing the ongoing electoral process.

Additional Facts:

• • Content restriction requests related to public order are legally grounded in Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, which empowers the Central Government to block public access to information necessary for maintaining national security or public order.
• • Although content blocking is formally implemented by MeitY, the MHA acts as a key institutional mechanism for initiating takedown requests, often leveraging dedicated platforms like the Sahyog portal for inter-agency content monitoring coordination.

Linkage with UPSC course:

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