New Delhi, India – Instagram posts by political leaders, parties, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members, and ordinary protesters are being removed at an unprecedented rate, following tense meetings between Meta’s leadership and the Indian government. The Indian Youth Congress, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, and the news portal Scroll.in are among those whose content has been blocked in India. The censorship, which cites the IT Rules, 2021, has sparked accusations that Meta is succumbing to government pressure and undermining free speech.
The government has pressed Meta on its recommendation algorithm, focusing on the amplification of anti-establishment social media content, which it views as a contributing factor to last month’s youth protests. While many reels remain available, a significant number have been removed, including some with millions of views. X users have also reported that remaining protest-related content is appearing less frequently. CJP’s Saurav Das condemned the move, stating, “What is this blanket ban on protest-related and Modi-related content? It is unconstitutional and illegal. Any social media platform doing this under pressure is going against free speech principles and public interest.”
Must Read: Jharkhand Protesting Students Form 11-Member Team for Talks with Government
This crackdown appears to be facilitated by Meta’s automatic compliance with Section 79(3)(b) notices, which are filed through the Home Ministry’s Sahyog portal. Unlike Section 69A of the IT Act, these notices do not entail criminal liability, yet Meta reportedly removes content upon request, giving the government vast powers of quick censorship. Tech law consultant Pranesh Prakash noted that Meta is “unthinkingly removing content it is legally not even required to remove.” The Software Freedom Law Centre, India, also warned that the Sahyog Portal creates a “parallel system” to take down content without the safeguards present under Section 69A, placing a heightened responsibility on platforms to ensure transparent and consistent moderation processes.
