YouTube blocked access in India to a video essay titled “How Modi and Adani Stole India | The Friendship Files” by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia following a legal complaint from a government entity. The video was removed within days of being uploaded on October 9 and had about 45,000 views at the time of takedown, according to medianama.com.
The platform’s notice stated the video was restricted after a review triggered by a legal complaint but did not specify the government entity or legal provision involved. The video was uploaded in collaboration with Bcubed, which has over 51,100 subscribers, and Shadow Citizens, with 406 subscribers. Despite the block in India, the video remains accessible via VPN and has circulated on social media.
The video essay’s creator, Sabeer Bhatia, shared the content widely on his X account, where it has received over 1.8 million views, as well as on Google Drive and iCloud. This incident highlights ongoing tensions around digital content regulation and government intervention in India’s online platforms, reflecting broader debates about freedom of expression and censorship.
Copies of the video continue to circulate on social media despite the block, underscoring challenges in enforcing content restrictions. YouTube’s notice includes a link for users to raise grievances about the removal, maintaining a channel for contesting the decision, according to medianama.com.