Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya has had his Instagram account restricted twice in three weeks under India's Information Technology Rules, reigniting concerns that the government is using legal orders to curb political satire on social media. The restrictions, which made Acharya's profile invisible to users in India, follow a separate case where cartoonist Manjul's post criticising the election commission's revision of voter rolls was blocked.
The 55-year-old Acharya discovered on Tuesday that his account had once again been briefly blocked in India, allegedly with no explanation from the platform. His account was previously restricted from 28 September to 6 October. Acharya told the BBC that Meta platforms had been restricting the reach of his cartoons for some years, but the outright profile block made him 'a little sad'. He wrote to Meta but received no reply and was preparing to go to court when the account became accessible again, only to be blocked again days later.
Meta stated that it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India's IT Rules but did not explain the specific reasons for Acharya's or Manjul's restrictions. The rules allow authorities and courts to order social media platforms to remove or restrict content. The government says they help tackle unlawful material, but artists and free-speech advocates warn they can stifle India's tradition of political satire.
The political weight of social media has grown, with memes and humour fuelling protests over education and jobs in July that led to the resignation of the education minister. Online debate has also intensified over a controversial revision of voter rolls that removed 130 million names. Technology policy expert Prateek Waghre told the BBC that the government is increasingly using legal orders to regulate online content. The Indian Express reported that government agencies sent nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to platforms between March and July through the Sahyog portal. Waghre says some platforms, particularly Meta, seem more willing to comply, while X appears more willing to push back, though limited public data makes comparisons difficult.
Cartoonists say the restrictions threaten their ability to dissent. 'We are among the default opposition,' said Sandeep Adhwaryu, a cartoonist at a leading Indian newspaper. 'The nature of the craft is to oppose.' Acharya noted that before 2014, when he targeted the Congress-led government, his cartoons were shared by BJP leaders and he faced no official restrictions. Now, with the BJP in power, much of his satire is directed at the Modi government.
Social media has allowed independent cartoonists to reach audiences without traditional outlets, but it also makes them dependent on platforms that can cut off access. Rachita Taneja, creator of the popular Instagram comic Sanitary Panels, said social media is a double-edged sword, adding that Meta's compliance with Indian government requests reflects commercial priorities rather than concern for users' rights. Meta declined to comment.
Critics say self-censorship is becoming normalised. Adhwaryu says artists may soften captions, avoid certain subjects, or think twice before submitting a cartoon. Still, cartoonists have found ways to support one another; when Acharya's account was restricted, Taneja drew a stick-figure cartoon in solidarity.
The government has also reportedly asked Meta to ensure its systems do not steer users towards a single set of narratives and strengthen checks on content that could cause public disorder. The BBC has sought comment from India's IT ministry but has not received a response.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The restrictions signal a growing willingness by the Indian government to use legal orders to control political speech on social media, with implications for free expression in the world's largest democracy.
- Independent cartoonists, who rely on platforms like Instagram to reach audiences, are especially vulnerable because their work challenges those in power and can be made invisible without explanation.
- Meta's compliance with government requests sets a precedent for how global tech companies balance local law and user rights, affecting users worldwide.
Background
Political satire has a long history in India, but cartoonists have also faced censorship. During the Emergency in the 1970s, cartoons were stamped 'not passed by censors'. In 2012, cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was arrested on sedition charges over cartoons allegedly mocking the constitution; charges were later dropped. Comedians like Kunal Kamra have faced threats and legal action over jokes about Prime Minister Modi. India ranks 157th in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, and critics accuse the government of pressuring independent media, a charge the government rejects.
Key Perspectives
Government of India: Says the IT Rules help tackle unlawful material, but critics argue they stifle political satire.
Satish Acharya: The cartoonist says Meta platforms have been restricting his cartoons for years, and the complete profile block made him 'a little sad'. He wrote to Meta but received no reply.
Meta: The company stated that it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India's IT Rules but did not explain specific reasons for blocking Acharya or Manjul.
Prateek Waghre: The technology policy expert told the BBC that the government is increasingly using legal orders to regulate online content, and Meta seems more willing to comply than other platforms.
Rachita Taneja: The creator of Sanitary Panels says Meta's compliance reflects commercial priorities, not user rights.
Sandeep Adhwaryu: The newspaper cartoonist says artists are among the default opposition, and self-censorship is becoming normalised.
What to Watch
- Whether Acharya takes legal action and how Indian courts rule on the use of IT Rules to restrict social media profiles.
- The Indian government's next steps after reportedly asking Meta to strengthen checks on content and prevent single narratives.
- How other platforms, particularly X, respond to government requests compared to Meta.
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedIndian cartoonists face growing Instagram restrictions as the government extends control over online satire.BBC News: “The cases have raised concerns about the use of legal orders to restrict political satire in India”
- Partly supportedMeta complies with legal orders under India’s IT Rules, raising free-speech concerns.BBC News: “Meta told the BBC that it may temporarily restrict accounts to comply with India’s IT Rules”
- SupportedAcharya’s account was restricted twice in three weeks, and Manjul’s post criticising the voter-roll revision was restricted.BBC News: “For the second time in three weeks, Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya found himself effectively invisible on Instagram in his own country. ... another cartoonist, Manjul, had found that Instagram had restricted a post criticising India’s election commission over its controversial revision of voter rolls.”
- SupportedAcharya said the profile block made him “a little sad”.BBC News: ““But when my entire profile was restricted in India, I was a little sad.””
- SupportedThe voter-roll revision removed 130 million names.BBC News: “Online debate has also intensified over a controversial revision of voter rolls that removed 130 million names.”
- SupportedThe Indian Express reported nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders between March and July through the Sahyog portal.BBC News: “The Indian Express reported, external that government agencies sent nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to platforms including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube between March and July through the federal government’s Sahyog portal.”
- SupportedWaghre said the government is increasingly using legal orders to regulate online content.BBC News: “technology policy expert Prateek Waghre says the government is increasingly using legal orders to regulate online content.”
- SupportedAdhwaryu said, “We are among the default opposition” and “The nature of the craft is to oppose.”BBC News: ““We are among the default opposition,” says Sandeep Adhwaryu, a cartoonist at a leading Indian newspaper. “The nature of the craft is to oppose,” he says”
- Partly supportedCritics say self-censorship is becoming normalised.BBC News: “Over time, he says, such self-censorship can become normalised, even without explicit instructions.”
- Partly supportedThe government reportedly asked Meta to prevent recommendations steering users towards a single set of narratives and to strengthen checks on content that could cause public disorder.BBC News: “authorities had asked Meta to ensure its systems did not steer users towards “a single or limited set of narratives” and strengthen checks on content that could “cause public disorder or incite violence”.”