Raising serious concerns over what it termed a growing pattern of 'arbitrary' takedown orders issued by authorities across social media platforms, the Press Club of India (PCI) has alleged that such actions violate the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

In a statement, the PCI managing committee says it is 'gravely concerned' about recent instances in which content critical of the government has been removed or blocked, and creators have been restricted from accessing their platforms.

The body described these actions as 'blatant executive overreach' and urged authorities to respect the constitutional guarantee of free speech under Article 19(1)(a).

“Such executive actions amount to a denial of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression,” PCI says, citing the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Shreya Singhal vs Union of India, which struck down vague provisions enabling arbitrary online censorship.

According to the PCI, authorities have issued fresh takedown orders to platforms such as Facebook and X, targeting fact-checker Mohammed Zubair and news platforms like Molitics and National Dastak.

The statement noted that multiple pages, including those of National Dastak, which has over 1.4mn (million) followers, and satirist Rajeev Nigam, are recently blocked in India. Notices displayed on these platforms cited violations of Indian laws following takedown requests under the Information Technology (IT) Act.

On X, Mr Zubair reportedly received notifications that several of his posts had been blocked nationwide under orders issued by the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) under Section 69A of the IT Act. However, the specific content flagged is not disclosed.

PCI also pointed to earlier action in March, when the YouTube channel of 4PM News was blocked and noted that National Dastak had previously faced restrictions linked to action by tax authorities.

The journalists’ body criticised the lack of transparency in the takedown process, stating that the absence of clear reasons for content removal makes such actions 'arbitrary and violative of the Constitution'.

“The opacity in the process… creates a chilling effect on free speech,” PCI says, echoing concerns raised by the Supreme Court in past rulings.

It added that repeated targeting of critical voices indicates a broader pattern that could undermine democratic discourse and media freedom.

PCI has called on the government to ensure that any content moderation measures adhere strictly to constitutional safeguards and due process, and that platforms and authorities provide clear justification for takedown requests.

The development comes amid increasing scrutiny of digital content regulation in India, with civil society groups and media organisations raising concerns over the balance between national security, legal compliance, and protection of free expression online.

Press Club says it would continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for the rights of journalists and content creators in the digital space.