India reinstates the ban on Pakistani social media accounts after a glitch lifted restrictions briefly. The government cites content and national security concerns.
The Government of India has once again blocked Pakistani accounts on social media in a quick and firm action after a technical hitch excluded their access for several hours. Previously blocked accounts, some of which were of Pakistani celebrities, social media influencers, and media houses, found themselves locked out due to national security threats and attempts to violate Indian content policies.
According to India Today, the unblocking occurred accidentally as a technical mistake in the content-moderating mechanisms of some of the platforms. It drew instant condemnation by Indian users and online censors who realized how previously blocked accounts were appearing again.
Why Were Pakistani Accounts Banned?
Previously, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had ordered popular platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to block several accounts based in Pakistan. It was done on the issue of repeated sources of misinformation, anti-India rhetoric, and lawbreaking on the issue of glorification of terrorist acts and communal disharmony.
No published list of banned accounts was made, but numerous prominent handles of celebrities and media personalities were among those suspended or banned. The fact that these accounts were temporarily visible left many questions that questioned the compliance of the platforms and the effectiveness of monitoring them.
Government’s Firm Stand
The MeitY, soon after the issue was flagged, got back to work with the social media companies to get the restrictions back on, strengthening its zero-tolerance policy to content that poses a threat to national unity and security. One top government official told the daily that there was a backend sync problem, which has since been addressed. The ban survives.”
This reaffirmation arises at a time when there is a growing international concern about how governments are controlling digital platforms in order to moderate cross-border content.
Mixed Public Reactions
The shortening revival of Pakistani content created various responses. Whereas some users were eager to renew their acquaintance with their favourite artists, many of them accused the platforms of unequally enforcing the content regulations. The grey line between national security and censorship is, in turn, debated by the representatives of digital rights movements.
With the tensions between India and Pakistan unrelenting, the digital world becomes a new arena of influence and domination.
