The government informed the parliament that over 6,000 URLs, accounts or websites were blocked in 2021. The government noted that blocking directions were issued following the due process as prescribed in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.
Providing further details, the government added that 471, 500, 633 and 1,385 accounts/websites/URLs were blocked during 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The number of accounts, websites and URLs blocked during 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 stood at 2,799, 3,603, 9,849 and 6,096, respectively.
The government further informed that the directions are issued to intermediaries including social media intermediaries and also to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), wherever appropriate.
Meanwhile, the government also acknowledged online gaming to be the new emerging category of intermediaries that is also rapidly expanding all around the world.
The parliament was also informed that as per the information provided by National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, the total number of cases registered under the Gambling Act (Online Gambling) (involving communication devices as medium/ target) for cybercrimes are 20, 22 and 63 for the year 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.
