Meta blocks posts about censorship on Instagram in India

Meta has blocked an Instagram post by the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) in India that was discussing censorship by the social media giant. The incident raises concerns about automated content moderation and keyword-based restrictions on the platform within the country.

On September 19, SFLC stated their Instagram post was made "unavailable in India," with the platform citing compliance with IT Rules. This SFLC post was referencing a report by The Scroll, which detailed Meta's earlier blocking of a post by Alt News.

The sequence began when Meta removed an Alt News post related to a film teaser that contained references to militant Burhan Wani. Subsequently, SFLC published a social media post criticizing these restrictions, which Meta also blocked. Later, when The Scroll reported on SFLC's critique, this report was permitted. SFLC then attempted to share The Scroll's report via an Instagram Story, but Meta again restricted it in India.

SFLC has alleged that Meta employs automated systems for content blocking, a claim echoed by a report in The Hindu. SFLC further suggests these blocks are keyword-based. For instance, an Alt News post using specific modified references to Burhan Wani was partially blocked, and searches for such terms triggered a "socially sensitive content" message.

Exact reasons for the blocks have not been provided, complicating appeals. SFLC has not received sufficient information to determine the basis for the restrictions or the challenge process. These events highlight a lack of transparency and potential arbitrariness in online censorship in India, leaving entities struggling to understand the rationale behind content removals.