Tamil Nadu Police’s Cyber Crime Wing issued a notice to X Corp on May 8 seeking the suspension of 18 URLs, including posts linked to YouTuber Maridhas, within three hours under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021. The notice warned that failure to act could result in X losing its intermediary liability protection under Section 79 of the IT Act.

Tamil Nadu Police’s Cyber Crime Wing issued a takedown notice to X Corp on May 8, demanding the suspension of more than 20 accounts, including that of YouTuber Maridhas, within three hours, invoking intermediary liability provisions under the IT Act and the IT Rules, 2021. Most… pic.twitter.com/wi5Jw24AD2

— Rajalakshmi sampath (@Rajalakshmi2398) May 11, 2026

The police said the flagged posts contained “provocative and politically sensitive remarks capable of inciting public unrest and disturbing public tranquillity.” The notice also alleged that the posts could encourage unlawful assemblies, affect law and order, and potentially lead to “loss of life and damage to public property.” The URLs were linked to an alleged violation of Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to reports, most of the targeted accounts belonged to DMK supporters who shared short videos, commentary, and posts critical of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office.

URLs inaccessible after notice: MediaNama reviewed the URLs listed in the notice and found that the linked posts and accounts were no longer accessible, with X displaying the message: “This page doesn’t exist.”

You can access the blocked URLs from here

The URLs listed in the notice included accounts such as MaridhasAnswers, KovaiNithya, Hereprak, Rationalist_RMD, SparkPluz_, and others. Reacting to the takedown action, YouTuber Maridhas alleged that the “route mafia” was attempting to silence dissent by using police- and court-backed legal actions to block social media accounts, claiming that those in power were targeting free speech while pretending to act lawfully. “But my response is: ‘Do whatever you can,’” he said.

ரூட் மாபியா திட்டம் எளிது.. காவல்துறை அல்லது நீதிமன்றம் மூலம் இப்படி ஒரு சட்டபடியான நடவடிக்கையை எடுப்பது போல் காட்டினாலே போதும் பல ID களை முடக்க முடியும். ஏன் என்றால் அதிகாரம் அவர்கள் கையில்.. இவனுக தான் கருத்துரிமை வாய் கிழிய பேசியவர்கள்..

ஆனால் என்னோட பதில் “உன்னால முடிஞ்சத… pic.twitter.com/ijIJI0n0zW

— Maridhas (@MaridhasAnswers) May 10, 2026

Meanwhile, X user Kovai Nithya reacted to the takedown notice by alleging that instead of taking action against those spreading rumours through videos made by a person speaking from abroad, authorities were targeting those who merely demanded action. Mocking the situation, the user stated that the “Route Mafia screenplay is on another level.”

நானும் உள்ளேன் ஐயா✋

“வெளிநாட்டுல இருந்து ஒருத்தனை பேச வச்சு content cook பண்ணி…

அவன் பேசின videoவை எடுத்துட்டு ‘நடவடிக்கை எடுங்க’ன்னு கேட்டா…

வதந்தி பரப்புன gang மேல action எடுக்குறதுக்கு பதிலா…
கோரிக்கை வைத்த எங்க மேலயே action எடுக்குறீங்க 😭

Route Mafia screenplay vera… https://t.co/tyRcphVVm1 pic.twitter.com/1ZUiGXwvtY

— Kovai Nithya (@KovaiNithya) May 9, 2026

Legal basis cited in the notice: In the notice, the Cyber Crime Wing said the content violated Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, which bars intermediaries from hosting content used to commit unlawful acts. The police directed X to “immediately remove or disable access” to the identified URLs and submit a compliance report within three hours.

The notice further stated that “the exemption from liability under Section 79(1) of the IT Act shall no longer apply” if the platform failed to act after receiving the order. The communication was signed by an authorised officer of Tamil Nadu’s Cyber Crime Wing.

IFF raises concerns over web censorship: In a statement issued on May 11, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) said the incidents surrounding the Tamil Nadu election results and the swearing in of C. Joseph Vijay pointed to “a familiar problem in India’s web censorship architecture where political speech is being restricted through a mix of formal takedown notices, opaque platform enforcement, and disputed claims of government involvement.”

The organisation also linked the X takedown notice to two other moderation incidents: the temporary restriction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Instagram posts featuring Vijay’s swearing in ceremony and the suspension of the official X account of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which X said had “violated X rules.” According to IFF, these incidents showed how web censorship increasingly operates through “a blurred chain of responsibility” where restrictions may arise either through direct state action or opaque platform moderation practices.

IFF further noted that Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021 requires “actual knowledge” through a court order or government notification under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, citing the Supreme Court’s Shreya Singhal judgement, which held that such orders must conform to Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

The organisation called on authorities and platforms to disclose legal notices, affected URLs, timelines of restriction and restoration, and remedies available to users. It also warned that the IT Rules, 2021 “cannot be allowed to function as a shadow censorship system in which political speech disappears first, and explanations arrive later, if at all.”

In the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by C. Joseph Vijay, emerged as the single largest party with 108 MLAs. The party formed the government on May 10, when Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

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