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1.95 Lakh Blocking Orders in 5 Months via Sahyog Portal; Meta Automates Takedown Under IT Act

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
17 Aug 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:1.95 lakh blocking ordersOne order every 68 seconds~1,275 orders/dayInstagram ~1 lakh ordersFacebook ~80,000 ordersYouTube ~15,000 orders
Bodies:Union Home MinistryIT MinistryMetaInstagramFacebookYouTubeGoogleInternet Freedom Foundation
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Government agencies pushed 1.95 lakh blocking orders to Instagram, Facebook and YouTube between March-July 2026 — roughly 1,275 every day and one every 68 seconds.

2.Instagram received nearly 1 lakh orders, Facebook about 80,000 and YouTube about 15,000; Meta platforms accounted for nearly 9 out of 10 orders.

3.Most orders were issued via the Home Ministry's Sahyog portal under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act; Meta's API integration with Sahyog automates takedown without human review.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

Between March and July 2026, government agencies issued 1.95 lakh social media blocking orders through the Home Ministry's Sahyog portal — one every 68 seconds. Meta has automated takedowns by linking its API to the portal to meet the mandated 2-3 hour timeline, raising serious questions under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. This is a high-yield intermediary liability, free speech and digital governance issue for exams.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Total blocking orders (Mar-Jul 2026)1.95 lakh (~1,275/day; one every 68 seconds)
Instagram orders~1 lakh (just over half)
Facebook orders~80,000
YouTube orders~15,000
Previous RTI data (Oct 2024-Oct 2025)2,312 orders to 19 platforms via Sahyog (~6/day)
Legal provisions usedSection 79(3)(b) and Section 69(A), IT Act, 2000
Amended takedown timeline2-3 hours (IT Rules 2021 amendment, February)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Total blocking orders (Mar-Jul 2026): 1.95 lakh (~1,275/day; one every 68 seconds)
  • ›Instagram orders: ~1 lakh (just over half)
  • ›Target this Data: 1.95 lakh blocking orders in 5 months; one every 68 seconds; ~1,275 orders/day
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Union Home Ministry's Sahyog Portal
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Section 79(3)(b) and Section 69(A) of IT Act, 2000; IT Rules 2021 amendment (2-3 hour takedown)

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which ministry has developed the Sahyog portal used for sending blocking orders to social media platforms?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements:

1. The Sahyog portal was developed to send blocking notices to online intermediaries by central and state agencies.

2. Blocking orders under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act are largely limited to offences related to national security and public order.

3. Meta integrated its API with the Sahyog portal to automatically take down content without separate human review.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

How many blocking orders were sent to social media platforms between March and July 2026?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the main legal concern raised by digital rights activists about Meta's API integration with the Sahyog portal?

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