Meta blocks Indian cartoonist's profile for second time in three weeks

Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya discovered on Tuesday that his Instagram account had been blocked again in his home country. It is the second time in three weeks that his profile has been made inaccessible to Indian users. The 55-year-old artist said the platform provided no explanation for the sudden restriction.

Acharya’s profile was first blocked from September 28 to October 6. During that period, users in India could not find his account through search or via direct web links. A message displayed to visitors stated the profile was unavailable under India's Information Technology Rules. Those rules allow authorities and courts to order social media platforms to remove or restrict specific content.

The government defends the rules as a tool to tackle unlawful material. However, artists and free-speech advocates argue the regulations stifle political satire. Acharya told the BBC that Meta has restricted the reach of his cartoons for years, but he felt sad when his entire profile was blocked. He wrote to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, but received no reply. He was preparing to take the matter to court when his account was restored in early October, only to be blocked again earlier this week for three days.

In a statement to the BBC, Meta said it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India's IT Rules. The company did not explain the specific reasons for restricting Acharya’s account or a post by another cartoonist, Manjul. Manjul’s profile was restricted earlier this month after he criticized India’s election commission over a controversial revision of voter rolls.

The restrictions coincide with a surge in government orders to digital platforms. The Indian Express reported that government agencies sent nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube between March and July. These figures were obtained through a right-to-information request and were routed through the federal government’s Sahyog portal. The data does not specify how many posts were ultimately removed or restricted.

Prateek Waghre, a technology policy expert, noted that Meta appears more willing to comply with these orders than other platforms like X. He added that limited public data makes precise comparisons difficult. Meta declined to comment on his assessment. The government has also reportedly asked Meta to ensure its systems do not steer users toward a single set of narratives and to strengthen checks on content that could cause public disorder.

Acharya has never faced official restrictions on his cartoons during previous governments, though he occasionally faced online trolling. Before 2014, his work often targeted the Congress-led government and was shared by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Now, with the BJP in power, his satire focuses on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. He stated that he follows the principle that cartoonists are the default opposition and must question whoever holds power.

Independent cartoonists rely on social media to reach audiences without traditional newspaper backing. Manjul, who is not associated with mainstream media, said this independence allows them to draw freely but creates a new vulnerability. That vulnerability is dependence on platforms that can restrict their work. Rachita Taneja, creator of the Instagram comic Sanitary Panels, described social media as a double-edged sword because it is a for-profit endeavor that answers to advertisers. She said Meta’s compliance reflects commercial priorities rather than a concern for user rights.