NE Exodus: Indian Govt Blocks More Than 250 Websites

The Indian government moved aggressively on August 20, 2012 to choke off the rumor machine behind the Northeast panic exodus — ordering internet service providers to block more than 250 websites and web pages accused of circulating morphed images and inflammatory content.

The blocked pages, spread across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms, were accused of hosting doctored photographs — some from Myanmar's ethnic violence, mislabeled as Assam — designed to inflame Muslim anger and spread fear among Northeasterners living in southern cities.

Home Secretary R.K. Singh made the government's most serious charge: that a large share of the offending content had been uploaded from Pakistan. "A maximum of them were uploaded from Pakistan," he said, framing the episode as not merely a domestic rumor spiral but a possible cross-border information operation.

The crackdown was ordered under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which allows the government to block online content in the interest of national security and public order. It followed an earlier, blunter measure: a 15-day cap restricting bulk SMS and MMS to five messages per day.

The move drew a split reaction. Supporters said extraordinary panic justified extraordinary measures — tens of thousands had already fled their homes on the strength of viral lies. Critics warned of a censorship precedent: once the state builds the machinery to block hundreds of pages at speed, the machinery does not get dismantled.

Twitter's slow initial response also drew government ire, foreshadowing years of friction between New Delhi and the social media platforms over takedown orders — a battle that would only intensify in the decade to come.