In a recent report, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) criticized India's online censorship mechanism, noting a rise in takedown requests deemed politically motivated since 2021. The report points to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which impose stringent compliance requirements on social media platforms like Meta and Google. These rules hold individual employees criminally liable for non-compliance and require rapid takedown of content within a two to three-hour window, the shortest of any government globally. Proposed amendments could further broaden censorship, allowing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to issue blocking orders against independent news creators, even for content that is not primarily news-related. This move raises concerns about the expanding reach of censorship in India, as users report that non-illegal, critical posts are being affected. Last year, over 2,300 blocking orders were issued to platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, reflecting the government's intensified efforts to control online content.