India Says Website Blocks Were Based on Fake Court Orders

India's government said on Wednesday that 129 gambling websites were blocked earlier this year on the basis of two falsified orders from state high courts. The revelation follows a Reuters report that uncovered two counterfeit court orders used to justify blocking access to multiple online gambling sites under a government policy aimed at curbing illegal gambling and consumer harm. Government officials said the documents were not genuine and that the blocking measures were therefore not validly grounded in court rulings. They did not immediately name the states involved or detail how the fake orders entered the decision process. Reuters had reported that the existence of the counterfeit orders called into question the safeguards around how court documents are verified before enforcement actions are taken against online platforms. The episode highlights vulnerabilities in the process for ordering blocks of digital content and has intensified scrutiny of how regulatory authorities apply online restrictions in India, including the balance between consumer protection and due process. The case also underscores the role of investigative journalism in exposing gaps in governance surrounding online censorship.