Telecoms officials carried out the website blocks after receiving falsified directives purportedly issued by the Rajasthan and Allahabad high courts. A criminal inquiry was triggered when the Allahabad High Court confirmed it never authorized the action, revealing the document featured a fake QR code alongside fabricated logos and seals. Uttar Pradesh cybercrime investigators are now demanding digital logs from the telecoms ministry to uncover how the fraudulent requests were approved. The ministry intends to reverse the takedown orders and upgrade its internal vetting mechanisms.
Key points
The telecoms ministry plans to revoke the unlawful blocking directives and wipe the fraud…: The telecoms ministry plans to revoke the unlawful blocking directives and wipe the fraudulent files from its official website.
Serious deficiencies in federal content-takedown safeguards were exposed after officials…: Serious deficiencies in federal content-takedown safeguards were exposed after officials acted on unverified judicial instructions without proper authentication.
Law enforcement agencies are actively analyzing ministerial processing systems to trace t…: Law enforcement agencies are actively analyzing ministerial processing systems to trace the individuals responsible for generating the forged legal mandates.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
BENGALURU, Nov 12 : India has launched an inquiry into how telecoms officials blocked websites based on forged court orders disclosed by Reuters, while police have sought ministry records as part of a criminal investigation, officials said on Thursday.
An arm of the telecoms ministry this year directed internet providers to block 129 illegal betting websites, but Reuters revealed on Wednesday that the directives were based on forged orders issued in the names of two state high courts and emailed to officials by alleged fraudsters posing as lawyers.
The findings have raised questions about safeguards in India's content-takedown system and prompted concerns that legitimate websites could be blocked using falsified court documents.
The telecoms ministry's inquiry will review its procedures and consider additional checks before officials act on court orders seeking website takedowns, a government official with direct knowledge of the matter said.
"It's serious ... Maybe in future some genuine websites may also be blocked in the same manner," the official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ministry was trying to identify those behind…
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