Archive · 13 Dec 2025
MeitY Orders VPNs to Block Data Leak Sites
The Indian government has told VPN services and other online companies to block websites that are leaking personal information of Indian people.
These websites, like proxyearth.org and leakdata.org, were found to be sharing sensitive details like names, phone numbers, and addresses.
The government says this is a big risk because it can lead to scams and stalking.
They also warned that if these companies don't follow the rules, they could face serious legal trouble.
This is part of India's efforts to make sure people's data is safe online.
Earlier, there was a rule that VPN companies had to keep customer information for five years, which made some big VPN companies leave India.
MeitY issued an advisory directing VPNs and online intermediaries to block access to websites leaking personal data of Indian citizens.
Targeted websites include proxyearth.org and leakdata.org, which expose sensitive personal details like names, mobile numbers, and addresses.
The advisory emphasizes the role of VPN services in preventing access to these sites, despite official blocking attempts by ISPs.
Non-compliant companies risk losing their safe-harbour protections under Section 79 of the IT Act and face liability under the IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
This move is part of India's broader push for data accountability, following the 2022 CERT-In mandate requiring VPN providers to store customer logs for five years.
- Who
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- What
- Issued an advisory directing VPNs and online intermediaries to block access to websites leaking personal data of Indian citizens
- When
- December 11, 2025
- Where
- India
- Why
- To safeguard digital privacy and combat identity theft and financial fraud
- Issuing Authority
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Date of Advisory
- December 11, 2025
- Targeted Websites
- proxyearth.org, leakdata.org, among others
- Legal Framework
- Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and IT Rules, 2021
- Potential Consequences
- Loss of safe-harbour protections, liability under IT Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
- Previous Mandate
- 2022 CERT-In mandate requiring VPN providers to store customer logs for five years