Online news media platform, Maktoob Media‘s X (formerly Twitter) account was withheld on Thursday, 8 May 2025, among others. On the same day, an advisory was put out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on publishing of online content. This comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor by India and the retaliatory cross-border attacks by Pakistan.
The government’s new advisory has put out directives for “carrying content having its origins in Pakistan” spanning to songs, web-series, podcasts albeit without any further clarification or specifics.
Along with Maktoob’s X account, ‘Mo of Everything,’ a media platform part of the India Today’s group also found its account disabled on Instagram.
These are the some of the first news media accounts to be blocked ever since the Pahalgam attack took place. However, these are not the first accounts to be banned or to come under fire.
Additionally, the Free Press Kashmir’s X account ‘FreePressK‘ and The kashmiriyat have also been withheld on the social media platform. Additionally, Arpit Sharmaa digital creator’s account was also withheld on X.
However, it’s important to note that no reason has been officially notified yet behind the accounts being blocked. These media accounts have been reporting on the current conflict since the ghastly Pahalgam terror took place two weeks ago.
‘Feels Like An Erasure’
Calling it an assault on press freedom, Aslah Kayyalakkath, Founding Editor of Maktoob Media, stated that their account has been withheld “in response to a legal demand.”
Meanwhile, condemning the action on Instagram, The Kashmiriyat wrote, “It’s hard to put into words. This feels like an erasure — of years of work, of the countless hours we poured into honest, often difficult journalism.”
Arpit Sharma, on his Instagram story, said, “The result for making videos so hate doesn’t spread, result for making videos on people co-existing in harmony, result for giving regular updates against viral fake news is this. This is the result.”
‘Discontinue Media Originating in Pakistan,’ Directs Govt
In the aftermath of the attack, the Union government had blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels and wrote a formal letter to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over their use of ‘militants’ for terrorists.
The new government advisory have put out directives for publishers of ‘Online Curated Content (OTT platforms), media streaming platforms and intermediaries.
In point 5 of the advisory, the government states, in interest of national security:
“All OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to “discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect.”
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Advisory by the government.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
This also brings into question, several content streaming online, whether it’s music such as Coke Studio on Spotify or brands and their content on Instagram and elsewhere.
As for the content in India, it also directs to exercise caution for content which “affects the sovereignty and integrity of India,” and which “threatens, endangers or jeopardizes the security of the state” among other concerns.
Further, in part 3 of the advisory, the government states that intermediaries shall make reasonable efforts, “to not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information that inter-alia threatens the unity integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order.”
These are broader terms being used for online content and content/news creation.
Notably, the standing committee on information technology branch had put out a memorandum which stated that “some social media influencers and social media platforms seem to be working against the interest of the country which is likely to incite violence.”
The Ministry of Electronics and IT and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were requested to act on it and ban such platforms under IT Act 2000.
Some days ago, Indian government had reportedly blocked access to several popular Pakistani drama channels on YouTube, including ARY Digital, Har Pal Geo, and Hum TV.
The crackdown has also extended to social media, wherein multiple Pakistani celebrities found their Instagram accounts inaccessible in India such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed, Iqra Aziz, among others.
These developments have come under heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. On 8 May, the government stated that at least 16, including three women and five children, have been killed in cross-border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir after Pakistan continued firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor.
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