Govt clarifies Google takedown request figures, rejects claims of content control

The government on Friday (28 November) clarified the number of content removal requests sent to Google, assuring the public that no platform has been asked to delete newspaper reports or general social media content, except in cases involving defamatory misinformation.

"The government didn't request any platform to remove news of Bangladeshi newspapers, social media posts, videos, reels, online articles or politically critical content by domestic critics, except misinformation, propaganda and misinformation-based character assassination campaign," a government statement said.

It explained that requests concerning misinformation, propaganda or defamatory content aimed at character assassination are forwarded to the BTRC through law enforcement agencies and the National Cyber Security Agency, reports BSS.

The government also stressed that it does not operate any bot network, such as the Awami League's CRI or similar groups, to influence or control social media.

"Neither BTRC nor NTMC, nor any Bangladeshi agency or institution, has the authority to take down social media content directly. Therefore, any request must be submitted to the social media and tech platforms," the statement added.

An analysis of Google's Transparency Report for January-June 2025 shows that Bangladesh submitted 279 requests, less than one-third of the 867 requests made during the Awami League government's June-December 2022 period, it said.

In the previous six months, July-December 2024, Bangladesh submitted only 153 requests, which was less than one-fifth of the Awami League's highest six-month total, and less than half of the AL government's lowest figure of 591 requests recorded in June-December 2023, the statement read.

"These numbers clearly show that the current government is sending far fewer requests than the previous Awami League government, which is not significant," it said, noting that Google's report shows 65 percent of all requests fall under the 'not enough information' category, meaning "these issues were not purposefully targeted."

The statement said that Bangladesh was subjected to a "highly undesirable level of misinformation campaigns" from inside and outside the country between January and June 2025, including "continuous misinformation and propaganda from media in a neighbouring country."

The government has had to submit several reports against these to Google as a platform, it added.

Besides, during this period, activities of Awami League was banned under anti-terrorism act, and as trials began at the International Crimes Tribunal regarding killings during the July mass uprising, the statement said, "AL started persistent misinformation campaigns against Bangladesh and the government in cyberspace, including calls to carry out terrorist acts".

"Keeping the country's cyberspace safe, protecting the country's political stability, preserving communal harmony, and protecting religious, racial, and ethnic groups online and offline are part of the government's daily responsibilities," it added.

Since social media and cyberspace have become one of the elements of the country's social and political stability, the Bangladesh government, like all countries across the world, has to report on this for the purpose of regulation, the statement noted.

In addition, the government has also made some take-down requests related to online gambling, it said.

Since Google's transparency report does not have a separate category for misinformation, propaganda, and character assassination, the statement said, these reports are shown in the government criticism category.

"Yet this number is less than one-fifth of the reports submitted by the Awami League government," it added.

The statement expressed disappointment that media reports-published in both Bangla and English-did not seek the government's explanation before publication.

"The despicable tendency to publish such sensational news while hiding the real truth and publishing fragmented news without the government's explanation on important issues related to the stability of society cannot in any way be the role of responsible media," it said.

The country in January-June 2025 period witnessed significant number of incidents, including over a hundred protests, several cases of "mob lynching, communal incidents, and attacks on shrines, which caused instability, the statement noted, saying, there have also been a few incidents that some "mob lynching" caused deaths.

On the other hand, intolerance and retaliation towards dissent have also been seen in the political arena, the statement said, adding, as a result, the government submitted reports to platforms as part of routine responsibilities to maintain social harmony and stability.

"The government is very proud to inform the citizens that the country has made remarkable progress in the freedom of speech and internet index in the international rankings," it said.

International organizations such as the World Bank and the International Telecommunication Union have recognised the progress of Bangladesh in the freedom of speech and internet index, the statement noted.

Notably, Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2025 report states that this year, Bangladesh has achieved the highest progress in internet freedom as a single country in the world, with its score rising from 40 to 45, the country's best performance in seven years, it read.

The report said the improvement was due to the removal of a repressive government in August 2024 in face of a student-led movement and the interim government's steps to prevent internet shutdowns and positive reforms in cyber security.