2.98 lakh URLs sent for takedown; I4C flags scams, CSAM and other unlawful content | India News
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, the PIB Fact Check unit said. The figures come after articles claiming that Meta had automated content blocking to meet the government’s three-hour takedown requirement, with content blocks rising during the Delhiprotests resurfaced.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, the government’s fact-check body said.“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 per cent). Of these, 51 thousand URLs were sent by I4C in the context of cyber, infrastructure, and stock-investment scams,” the PIB Fact Check account said on X.The PIB Fact Check unit also addressed reports about Meta using automated systems to block content to meet the government’s three-hour takedown requirement. It termed the reports misleading and said, “The API integration with Meta took place in 2025 at the request of Meta.”The government had amended the IT Intermediaries Rules 2021 in February to speed up the removal of unlawful content. The time given for takedowns was subsequently cut to three hours from 36 hours.
Here’s what I4C flagged
According to the fact-check unit, most of the unlawful content flagged by I4C over the past two years was linked to transnational financial frauds, CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material), and offences related to women and children.The unit said the volume of content being posted online also made it necessary for the government to act against unlawful material. With 600 million users in India posting up to 78,703 items every 68 seconds, it said, it was reasonable to expect that, on average, one of those items may not be lawful.
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“The State and its instrumentalities cannot abdicate their responsibilities and allow free rein to lawlessness in cyberspace,” PIB Fact Check said.The unit said social media platforms, or IT intermediaries, act on requests sent by competent authorities. It added that only authorised officers notified by the relevant ministry or state government can send requests through Sahyog for the removal of unlawful content.“Only authorised officers as notified by the concerned ministry or state government can send intimations for unlawful content takedown through Sahyog. All such intimations are reviewed by the concerned governments periodically,” the fact check unit said.
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