• 36,838 URLs were blocked between January 2018 and October 2023 under Section 69A of the IT Act.
• Twitter sees the highest number of blocked URLs (13,660), followed by Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Discrepancies exist in data provided by the Ministry regarding blocked URLs.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has blocked 36,838 URLs between January 2018 and October 2023, as per a statement by Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar. This figure reveals the extensive use of URL blocking by the government under Section 69A of the IT Act.

Breakdown by Platform:

Twitter (formerly X): 13,660 URLs blocked

Facebook: 10,862 URLs blocked

Instagram: 8,868 URLs blocked

YouTube: 3,448 URLs blocked

Discrepancies in Data:

While MeitY has provided data on blocked URLs, inconsistencies have been found:

2021: Reportedly, 6,118 URLs were blocked, while an RTI response revealed 6,096.

2022: MeitY reported 6,935 blocked URLs, contradicting two Lok Sabha responses stating 6,775.

2019: Initially reported 3,635 blocked URLs, later revised to 3,655.

2017: Reported 1,329 blocked URLs in 2018, later revised to 1,385 in 2019.

Additional Concerns:

The data does not clarify if apps are included in the list of blocked URLs.

Blocking orders issued by judicial courts and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are not reflected in the data.

The number of blocked URLs doesn't reveal the actual extent of blocking, as blocking an entire website and blocking a single article are counted equally.

Transparency and Accountability:

These discrepancies and limitations raise questions about transparency and accountability in URL-blocking practices. Providing clearer and more comprehensive data is crucial for public understanding and ensuring responsible use of this powerful tool.