# Instagram restricts anti-data-centre campaign account in India

2026-09-21T00:22:05+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

Meta has restricted the Instagram account of the citzen-led 'Stop Vizag Data Centers' campaign in India, citing legal requirements under the IT Rules. The account, which had over 11,800 followers and more than 56 lakh views, is unavailable to Indian users but remains accessible abroad. Campaign representatives said nine posts had been restricted in the weeks before the full account-level action. The campaign opposes hyperscale AI data centres of at least 6.5 GW capacity planned in coastal north Andhra Pradesh, including those owned by the Adani Group and Reliance. It has raised concerns about land use, water demand, and ecological impact, and questioned the state government's transparency. The group has launched a backup Instagram account and demanded that Meta restore the main account. A public awareness programme was held on Sunday in Visakhapatnam.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The Hindu reports the restriction was temporary and mentions the movement's new backup account. The News Minute leads with past censorship and quotes the campaign group's accusation that state government transparency claims are hollow. The difference lies in framing intent: The Hindu foregrounds the procedural fact (the restriction and the response), while The News Minute foregrounds the allegation that the restriction shows official talk of debate is empty. Neither source verifies the legal basis, both rely on the campaign group's account. The state government's position on the data centre projects themselves is absent from both. The timeline for restoration of the account, if any, is unknown.

## Coverage

- thenewsminute.com (government critical) <https://www.thenewsminute.com/andhra-pradesh/censorship-strikes-stop-vizag-data-centers-campaigns-instagram-page-restricted-in-india>
  Leads with the group's allegation that official talk of debate is hollow, foregrounding censorship accusation
- thehindu.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/stop-vizag-data-centers-instagram-account-blocked-in-india/article71487350.ece>
  Leads with the restriction being temporary and the campaign's backup plan, procedural framing

Tags: Adani Group, IT Rules, Meta, Reliance, Visakhapatnam
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