This catch and release pattern is quite common in many wildlife surveys.
For example, when estimating tiger populations, instead of painting a white dot, rangers set up camera traps to take photos. Then they can use stripe patterns as a signature for subsequent re-appearances. Quite an interesting intersection for image AI with statistical counting methods.
The current government came into power riding on a wave of popularity, largely driven by their "IT cells". Now comfortably in power, they are probably dismantling the path, to avoid others who might try to follow.
The government is not just in a stand-off with big-tech companies. It continues to view its own citizens as adversaries with frequent internet shutdowns [1].