Overview

• On July 3, Indian authorities re-blocked Pakistani YouTube and Instagram accounts, reversing a brief restoration of profiles including Shoaib Akhtar’s and Saba Qamar’s.
• Officials attributed the earlier unblocking to a ‘technical error’ and said restrictions are enforced under Ministry of Home Affairs security recommendations.
• The move comes three months after 16 Pakistani YouTube channels were initially banned on April 28 for alleged propaganda following the Pahalgam terror attack.
• The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting also directed OTT platforms in May to remove Pakistani-origin content as part of a wider digital blockade.
• Observers such as ORF senior fellow Sushant Sareen have raised concerns over the government’s off-again approach and lack of transparency in these digital censorship measures.