Access Now is pained to learn of the loss of lives and livelihoods on account of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. In times of crisis, upholding human rights, including the rights to free expression and access to information, is essential to safeguarding democracy.
We are alarmed by executive orders issued by the Indian government restricting access to an alarming spectrum of online content, including requiring social media platform X to block access to over 8,000 accounts, including those belonging to journalists, human rights organisations, and independent media outlets. In today’s digital age, the many layers of conflict include the digital realm and efforts to control the information ecosystem. These orders are part of a broader pattern of digital censorship, which includes blocking access to both international and domestic news platforms, such as The Wire, as well as the takedown of YouTube channels, restrictions on Instagram content, and advisories targeting streaming content with Pakistani origin. As the threat to free expression and the right to information increases, the availability of, and access to, diverse sources of information becomes even more critical. Human rights are the bastion on which democracy rests, and their vulnerability during crises must be mitigated by adherence to the checks and balances prescribed by constitutional and international human rights frameworks. Misinformation campaigns, internet shutdowns, and blanket website blocking orders — rather than targeting specific content — only serve to thicken the fog of conflict.
Blocking access to international and domestic websites in their entirety is disproportionate, and frustrates efforts to combat disinformation and misinformation which exacerbate fear and disorder. Allowing journalists, news platforms, and fact-checkers to do their work is essential, and any takedown orders must be content-specific and respect the standard of necessity and proportionality.
Across South Asia, digital repression has become a familiar response to political and military tensions. While no large-scale content takedown has been confirmed in Pakistan during this crisis, the state has previously imposed mass blocking orders and social media bans when military narratives are challenged or dissent is voiced. Access Now has documented these patterns through our #KeepItOn reporting. Such actions — whether in India, Pakistan, or elsewhere in the region — deepen fear and confusion while denying people access to credible, diverse sources of information. In times of crisis, people need more information, not less. Censoring entire platforms or silencing independent media does not strengthen national security, it weakens democratic accountability.
We urge authorities across South Asia to uphold constitutional guarantees and international human rights obligations. The protection of free expression, media freedom, and access to information must not be the first casualties of conflict. They are the very foundations of peace and resilience in the region.