Half of India’s takedown notices to X cite ‘disturbing public order’: Report

Only 14 of the 91 notices issued across the 20-month span alleged criminal activity

After the launch of the Centre’s Sahyog portal last year, over 1,100 URLs were red flagged.

According to Indian Express, over half (566) of these URLs were flagged for the offence of “disturbing public order”, followed by 124 for targeting political and public figures. Also, 91 takedown notices were issued in nearly two years by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to X Corp.

A compilation of these notices from March 20, 2024 to November 7, 2025, was filed by the MHA before Delhi High Court this month. According to this, 58 takedown notices were issued to X last year, including 24 for provisions related to violating public tranquility and promoting enmity — three other notices in 2024 flagged content deemed as threats to national integrity and sovereignty.

Only 14 of the 91 notices issued across the 20-month span alleged criminal activity, such as promotion of betting apps, impersonation of official handles and circulation of child sexual abuse material.

According to the IE report, the most number of URLs (115) figured in a single notice issued on May 13, 2024, for an allegedly doctored video “spreading misinformation with the intention to influence ongoing electoral processes”.

Amid the Lok Sabha polls during April and May 2024, 761 URLs were flagged in takedown notices to X. Of these, nine notices flagging 198 URLs specifically referred to violation of provisions of the Representation of People’s Act.

In its affidavit filed before the Delhi High Court through MHA’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the Ministry claimed that X Corp has been “objecting the unlawful content raised in the notices and authority to notify for removal of such content under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act”, according to the IE report.

‘Sahyog’ Portal has been developed to automate the process of sending notices to intermediaries by the Appropriate Government or its agency under IT Act, 2000 to facilitate the removal or disabling of access to any information, data or communication link being used to commit an unlawful act.