High Court orders authorities to notify users of social-media takedown orders

The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed that any authority issuing a takedown order for a social-media page must also notify the affected user, invoking natural-justice standards. The ruling came while hearing a petition by Haryana 24 News Network, which complained that its Facebook page was disabled on August 21 without prior notice. Police said a company director, accused in an extortion case, was using the page to intimidate a victim and witnesses, prompting a notice to Facebook.

The court noted that the notice was improperly issued by a superintendent of police, as only officers of deputy inspector general rank or above are authorized to send such directives, and therefore ordered the page reinstated. The judgment arrives amid reports that the government issued nearly two lakh blocking orders to platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube between March and July, averaging about 1,275 daily orders. Meta has linked its API to the Sahyog portal to comply with these requests.