After USTR Flags 'Politically Motivated' Takedown Requests, India Says 'No Change' in Report
New Delhi: The United States government has not changed its assessment that requests for takedown content and user accounts are mostly “politically motivated” in the last one year, Indian government sources emphasised Thursday (April 2). The sources were responding to news report on the 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, submitted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative to US President Donald Trump and Congress on March 31.
The report classifies the growing number of takedown requests from Indian authorities to US social media companies, a trend noted since 2021, as a non-tariff trade barrier. A comparison document of the 2025 and 2026 NTE reports circulated by Indian government sources highlights that the digital trade sections remain "largely the same." Specifically, the sections addressing internet shutdowns and content takedowns show "no material change."
The 2025 NTE, submitted to Congress on April 1 of last year, used identical language to describe the situation. It stated that US firms have been subject to “an increasing number of takedown requests for content and user accounts related to issues that appear politically motivated” following the implementation of India's 2021 IT rules.
The unchanged language largely reflects that report's authors found no shift in the underlying behaviour, negating the need for a revised assessment.
The comparison document notes that the 2026 report differs from the 2025 version in some areas. The equalisation levy, a 6% tax on digital services flagged as a trade barrier in the 2025 report, is described in the 2026 report as having been withdrawn in April 2025.
The 2026 report also updates its treatment of India's data protection framework to reflect the final Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, notified in November 2025, and adds a new section on concerns over satellite communications regulations.
Overall, the comparison document concludes that while the new USTR report provides factual updates on certain digital laws, it does not alter the overall direction of US concern.
The US report’s spotlight on the 2021 IT Rules coincides with widespread domestic criticism over a recent wave of takedown orders.
Recently, the Indian government has intensified its directives to platforms such as X, Facebook and YouTube, demanding the removal of content from various journalists, satirists and political commentators. Authorities are primarily leaning on Section 69A of the IT Act and the updated 2021 IT Rules to enforce these measures, recently shrinking the compliance window for social media companies to effect a takedown to a strict three-hour timeframe.
Furthermore, proposed amendments introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in late March aim to establish even tighter controls over digital news content. Advocacy groups have warned that the proposed framework could further consolidate a regime of digital censorship.
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