India’s IT Ministry Lifts Blocking Order on Gamban After Nearly Four Years
The Ministry of Electronics and IT has revoked the Section 69A blocking order against the anti-gambling application Gamban following a high court directive.
The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has officially reversed its blocking order against Gamban, an application designed to assist individuals in recovering from gambling addiction. The service had been inaccessible in India since February 2023 under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
The reversal follows a directive from the Delhi High Court earlier this year, which compelled the ministry to review the case. Following an inter-ministerial hearing held in October, the ministry concluded that the app’s data practices were compliant, dismissing previous concerns regarding user data collection and advertising.
Historically, the revocation of Section 69A orders is extremely rare in India, with few recorded instances of the government reversing such mandates once issued. While the app has regained access on the Google Play Store, it remains blocked on Apple’s App Store as of the latest update. Industry observers view the move as a notable instance where judicial intervention successfully challenged administrative web-blocking actions.