Indian cartoonist's Instagram account blocked twice in three weeks

Satish Acharya, a 55-year-old Indian cartoonist, found his Instagram account blocked in India for a second time in three weeks. The restriction took effect on Tuesday, leaving users in the country unable to find his profile through search or access it via web links. A message displayed on the page stated the account was unavailable under India's Information Technology Rules.

Acharya's account was previously restricted from September 28 to October 6. During that first period, he wrote to Meta, Instagram's parent company, but received no reply. He stated he was preparing to go to court when the account became accessible again in early October. The latest block lasted three days before the profile returned to normal status earlier this week. In a statement, Meta told the BBC that it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India's IT Rules but did not explain the specific reasons for restricting Acharya's account.

The blocks arrive as government agencies send a high volume of content orders to digital platforms. The Indian Express reported that agencies sent nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube between March and July. These orders were submitted through the federal government's Sahyog portal. The figures were obtained through a right-to-information request, though the data does not show how many posts were ultimately restricted or removed.

Another cartoonist, Manjul, also faced restrictions earlier this month. Instagram restricted a post by Manjul that criticized India's election commission over its revision of voter rolls. His profile remained accessible, but the specific post was limited. Manjul noted that independent cartoonists rely on social media to reach audiences without relying on newspapers. He said, "We are not associated with newspapers or any mainstream media. That's why we can draw."

Technology policy expert Prateek Waghre noted that some platforms appear more willing to comply with these orders than others. He observed that Meta seems more willing to comply, while X appears more willing to push back. The government has reportedly sought greater scrutiny of how platforms recommend content. Authorities have asked Meta to ensure its systems do not steer users towards a single or limited set of narratives and to strengthen checks on content that could cause public disorder.

Acharya said he has followed a principle of challenging those in power throughout his career. He noted that before 2014, many of his cartoons targeted the Congress-led government. Now, with the BJP in power, much of his satire is directed at the current administration. He told the BBC, "Meta platforms have been restricting the reach of my cartoons for some years. But when my entire profile was restricted in India, I was a little sad."

The BBC sought comment from India's IT ministry on the restrictions and the reported instructions to Meta. The ministry has not yet provided a response. Acharya and other cartoonists continue to post on the platform, relying on the digital space to share their work with the public.