195,000 orders in 5 months as Indian cartoonist loses Instagram again

Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya found his Instagram account blocked in his home country for the second time in three weeks on Tuesday. The 55-year-old artist stated that he received no explanation from the platform for the restriction, which made his profile inaccessible to Indian users via search or direct links.

This latest block follows a similar restriction on Acharya's account from September 28 to October 6. Users attempting to view his profile saw a message indicating the account was unavailable under India's Information Technology Rules. These regulations allow authorities and courts to order social media platforms to remove or restrict specific content.

Data obtained through a right-to-information request shows that government agencies sent nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube between March and July. The figures, reported by the Indian Express, were submitted via the federal government's Sahyog portal. The data does not specify how many posts were ultimately removed or restricted.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, issued a statement saying it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India's IT Rules. However, the company did not explain the specific reasons for restricting Acharya's account or the post by cartoonist Manjul, whose work was also restricted earlier this month for criticizing the election commission's revision of voter rolls.

Technology policy expert Prateek Waghre noted that some platforms appear more willing to comply with these orders than others. He stated that Meta seems more compliant, while X appears more willing to push back. Meta declined to comment on Waghre's assessment. The government has also reportedly asked Meta to ensure its recommendation systems do not steer users toward limited narratives and to strengthen checks on content that could cause public disorder.

Acharya, who wrote to Meta regarding the blocks without receiving a reply, said he was preparing to go to court when his account was restored in early October. He then found it blocked again earlier this week for three days. Acharya noted that he never faced official restrictions on his cartoons during previous governments, though he occasionally faced online criticism.

Other creators describe their dependence on platforms as a vulnerability. Rachita Taneja, creator of the Instagram comic Sanitary Panels, said her career would not exist without the internet but described social media as a double-edged sword. She stated that Meta's compliance with government requests reflects commercial priorities rather than concern for user rights. The BBC has sought comment from India's IT ministry on the restrictions and instructions to Meta but has not received a response.