Meta blocks Indian news accounts critical of Modi govt amid growing censorship
New Delhi: Meta, the American tech giant, has blocked Instagram accounts of the Kerala’s Malayalam newspaper Deshabhimani, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the online news portal ‘No Cap’, highlighting growing restrictions on independent voices in India’s digital space. Earlier, news portal The Wire’s Instagram account was temporarily blocked in the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Deshabhimani’s Instagram account was disabled on February 1, coinciding with India’s budget presentation. Coordinating Editor Sajan Evugen said repeated appeals to Meta for reinstatement over the past 10 days have gone unanswered. The newspaper noted that its coverage criticizing the BJP and RSS, highlighting the Indian government’s neglect of Kerala, and opposing its anti-people policies may have triggered the action.
Similarly, No Cap faced permanent suspension after sharing content critical of the RSS and related to Indian PM Modi’s name in the Epstein files. Executive Editor Ali Hyder said Meta initially cited “community standards violations” without specifying any post or content.
In addition, several Instagram pages that have criticised the Indian government were also disabled in the past week. In a social media post, The Wire stated that they had learned informally that the Indian ministry had asked Meta to block a 52-second satirical animation critical of Modi on Instagram. After the account was restored, the cartoon remained inaccessible.
These incidents underscore an increasingly restricted digital space in Modi’s India, where social media platforms face pressure to suppress dissenting voices. Observers say such actions raise serious concerns over freedom of expression and the survival of independent journalism in the country’s online sphere.
