Kejriwal alleges Meta restricted his account; sources say action was on a post

NEW DELHI – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, restricted his Instagram account in India without providing any reason.

Kejriwal took to X, formerly Twitter, to claim that his account had become unavailable in India and that Meta India had not offered any explanation despite repeated attempts to inquire. He urged the social media giant not to succumb to pressure from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Why have you restricted my account? Verbal enquiries at your India office revealed that my account has been restricted in India and is unavailable in India. Why? No one in your office is giving any reasons. No one is suggesting how restrictions can be removed," Kejriwal wrote.

He later shared a video claiming Instagram had informed him his account was "suppressed" and "restricted" in India. However, sources close to Meta India told Inc42 that Kejriwal's account remains visible and that no account-level restriction has been imposed. According to these sources, the screenshot shared by Kejriwal indicates action was taken against a specific post, not his entire account. Meta did not respond to Inc42's queries.

The allegations surface as Meta faces increased scrutiny in India over its content moderation practices. Earlier, WhatsApp users reported account reviews without notice. Meta is also under investigation for alleged promotion of child sexual abuse material through advertisements on its platforms. A parliamentary committee has also demanded an apology from Meta over the removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Modi.