India saw 14,875 incidents linked to violations of free expression in 2025, including the deaths of eight journalists and one social media influencer, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Free Speech Collective.
The organisation, which tracks curbs on expression across the country, said it documented a wide range of violations over the year. These included censorship, judicial gag orders, curbs on academic freedom, film certification-related restrictions, regulatory measures and corporate actions affecting free speech. It also recorded 117 arrests connected to such violations, among them the arrest of eight journalists.
According to the findings, journalists were the primary targets in cases involving violence and intimidation. Of the 40 reported attacks related to free speech, 33 were directed at media professionals.
Journalists were also involved in 14 of the 19 harassment cases documented during the year, and 12 instances were recorded in which journalists received threats linked to their work, Scroll.in reported.
The report said eight journalists were killed in 2025—two in Uttar Pradesh and one each in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Uttarakhand. It also noted that a social media influencer was killed in Punjab.
The Collective added that two journalists, Irfan Mehraj from Kashmir and Rupesh Kumar from Jharkhand, continued to remain in custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Mehraj has been incarcerated since March 2023, while Kumar has been jailed since July 2022.
State-wise data showed Gujarat recording the highest number of free speech violations at 108, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 83 cases and Kerala with 78.
The report further stated that censorship accounted for 11,385 incidents, while 208 cases involved what it described as “lawfare”, or the use of legal mechanisms to harass or intimidate opponents. It said censorship figures also included mass takedown orders issued by the Union government to social media platform X. In May alone, authorities sought to block access to more than 8,000 accounts in India, the highest monthly figure recorded.
In addition, the report documented 3,070 instances of internet control during the year, including shutdowns and the blocking of mobile applications. It also pointed to at least 16 serious cases of censorship within academic spaces.
The Collective highlighted what it described as the unchecked use of film certification as a means of censorship, citing the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s recent decision to deny permission to screen 19 films at the International Film Festival of Kerala.
The report also expressed concern over the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, noting that the rules notified in November could pose risks to journalism and undermine transparency by weakening provisions of the Right to Information Act.