View source for Laws in India: changes over the years

===Internet laws===
The laws governing cyberspace have changed a lot under the Modi government, which was drawn to the sector, particularly during the protests against the CAA and farm laws. Both protests drew their strength in controlling narratives from the internet and social media. As the protests swelled, the government found that its requests for taking down content it considered offensive and inappropriate were met with resistance by Big Tech companies such as Twitter, Facebook and Google.

In February 2021, the government brought the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to govern tech platforms. One of the requirements was that the tech companies had to appoint three Indian residents as full-time executives under the 2021 IT Rules.

Recently, the government announced a fact-check unit under the information and broadcasting ministry’s Press Information Bureau (PIB). The provision empowered the PIB unit to decide what is “fake” news. This has been challenged in the apex court, which has stayed the rolling out of this fact-checking unit.

According to the Freedom House report published in 2023, India topped the world for five years in a row — 2016 to 2022 — in imposing internet bans, accounting for over 60% of all blackouts during the period.

According to data collected by the Software Freedom Law Centre, 780 internet shutdowns were imposed in India between 2014 and 2023. More than 700 hours of internet shutdown were imposed in 2023.