Now Reading: Meta blocks Kashmir pellet victim posts citing IT rules
-
01
Meta blocks Kashmir pellet victim posts citing IT rules
Meta has blocked Instagram posts by The Hindu and Scroll.in about Kashmir pellet gun victim Insha Mushtaq, citing legal requirements under India's Information Technology Rules. Both publications received automated notices that access…
The Story in Brief
Meta has blocked Instagram posts by The Hindu and Scroll.in about Kashmir pellet gun victim Insha Mushtaq, citing legal requirements under India's Information Technology Rules. Both publications received automated notices that access was restricted in India. Insha Mushtaq, blinded by pellet guns during 2016 protests, was recently approved Rs 41.16 lakh for an LPG distributorship after years of delay.
Scroll.in says this is the fourth time since June that Instagram has restricted its posts. MediaNama reports that since April, India is among countries where Meta automatically blocks content flagged by government agencies. The blocked content included reports on compensation delays and a Delhi protest where students were reportedly injured. Meta did not specify which rule was violated.
The Indian Opinion
The government insists no bullets were fired at student protesters, but social media videos contradict that claim. Meta’s automated takedown system, which blocks content without human review and even after a request is found invalid, undermines transparency. Citing vague 'legal requirements' without naming the specific provision leaves citizens in the dark. A clear test will arise if the government or Meta releases the exact legal notice, until then, suspicions of overreach will remain.
Sources (2): siasat.com, medianama.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
