Nearly 3 Lakh URLs Blocked in 5 Months! The Real Reason Revealed

According to government data, out of the total URLs blocked, approximately 2.44 lakh—or about 82 percent—were flagged by state governments.

Incidents of cyber fraud are rising rapidly across the country. In the world of technology, fraudsters have devised new methods to dupe people. However, the government is also taking swift action against cyber fraud; alongside raising public awareness, new strategies are being explored to combat this issue. As part of this effort, the government has cracked down on illegal online content. Media reports indicate that between March and July 2026, various agencies under the central and state governments flagged approximately 2.98 lakh URLs on online platforms for removal.

State Governments Submitted the Most Requests

Government data reveals that of the blocked URLs, about 2.44 lakh—roughly 82 percent—were flagged by state governments. This clearly demonstrates that state governments are actively working to identify and curb illicit online content. Additionally, the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) independently identified around 51,000 URLs. These included content linked to cybercrimes and other forms of illegal online activity.

Focus on Cybercrime and Fraud

The content identified by the I4C encompasses various types of cybercrimes. These reportedly include online scams, investment-related fraud, threats targeting critical infrastructure, and other illegal activities.

Large Number of Social Media Users in India

The government has cited the country's massive social media user base as a factor making the monitoring of online content a challenging task. Estimates suggest there are approximately 600 million (60 crore) social media users in the country. The government acknowledges that users post vast amounts of content on the platform. Amidst this high volume, objectionable content inevitably circulates, making it extremely difficult to identify and remove it.

Not every official can submit content removal requests

The government has also clarified that not just any government employee is authorized to arbitrarily send requests for content removal through the 'Sahyog' system.

Only officials registered by the concerned central ministry or state government can initiate such action. Furthermore, directives issued by these officials will be subject to periodic review.