Free Speech Violations in India Reach Alarming Levels in 2025
Overview of Free Speech Violations
A recent report from the Free Speech Collective has revealed that India experienced 14,875 incidents of free speech violations in 2025, which included the tragic deaths of eight journalists and one social media influencer. This alarming data was made public on Tuesday.
The organization, which tracks free speech infringements in India, documented various forms of censorship, including court gag orders, limitations on academic freedom, film censorship, and corporate efforts to control free expression throughout the year.
According to the report, there were 117 arrests related to free speech violations, with eight journalists among those detained.
Notably, 33 out of 40 attacks concerning free speech were directed at journalists. The report also highlighted that of the 19 harassment cases, 14 involved journalists, and there were 12 instances where journalists received threats while performing their duties.
Throughout the year, eight journalists lost their lives: two in Uttar Pradesh and one each in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, and Uttarakhand. Additionally, a social media influencer was killed in Punjab.
The report indicated that two journalists, Irfan Mehraj from Kashmir and Rupesh Kumar from Jharkhand, are currently detained under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, with Mehraj imprisoned since March 2023 and Kumar since July 2022.
Gujarat topped the list with the highest number of free speech violations at 108, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 83 and Kerala with 78.
Furthermore, the report documented 11,385 instances of censorship and 208 cases of 'lawfare', which refers to the use of legal measures to hinder opponents.
The censorship statistics include numerous mass takedown requests made by the Union government to the social media platform X.
In May, the government attempted to restrict access to over 8,000 accounts on this platform in India, marking the highest monthly total recorded.
Additionally, there were 3,070 instances of internet control in 2025, encompassing internet shutdowns and the blocking of mobile applications.
The Free Speech Collective also noted at least 16 significant instances of censorship within academic settings.
The report expressed concern over the 'unrestrained use of film certification as a censorship tool', citing the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's recent denial of permission for the International Film Festival of Kerala to screen 19 films.
Moreover, the report raised alarms regarding the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act, whose rules were notified in November, suggesting that they could jeopardize journalism and undermine India's transparency framework by weakening the Right to Information Act.