Indian Cartoonist Blocked on Instagram Again as Orders Hit 195,000

Indian cartoonist Satish Acharya found his Instagram account blocked again on Tuesday. It was the second time in three weeks that users inside India could not access his profile through search or direct links.

Here are the key developments and figures surrounding the restrictions.

The 55-year-old artist stated that his account was inaccessible from 28 September to 6 October and then blocked again for three days earlier this week. During these periods, viewers saw a message indicating the profile was unavailable under India’s Information Technology Rules. Acharya wrote to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, but received no reply. He noted that he was preparing to file a court case when the access was restored in early October.

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 by the Indian Express. The data does not specify how many posts were ultimately removed. Meta told the BBC that it temporarily restricts accounts to comply with Indian IT Rules but did not explain the specific reasons for restricting Acharya’s account or the post by another cartoonist, Manjul.

Manjul’s Instagram post was restricted recently after it criticized the election commission’s revision of voter rolls. That revision removed 130 million names from the rolls, a move that sparked online debate. Critics argue that legal orders are being used to limit political satire. Technology policy expert Prateek Waghre noted that Meta appears more willing to comply with these orders compared to X, which tends to push back. Limited public data makes precise comparisons difficult.

The restrictions occur as social media plays a larger role in political dissent. Memes helped fuel protests over education and jobs in July, which led to the resignation of the education minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has urged ministers to strengthen their online presence. However, authorities have also asked Meta to ensure its recommendation systems do not steer users toward limited narratives. The government has not responded to the BBC’s requests for comment on these instructions.

Cartoonists face pressure both online and in traditional newsrooms. Sandeep Adhwaryu, a cartoonist for a leading Indian newspaper, said artists often soften captions or avoid certain subjects. He described the craft as a default opposition to power. Rachita Taneja, creator of the Instagram comic Sanitary Panels, described social media as a double-edged sword. She noted that Meta’s compliance reflects commercial priorities rather than user rights. Taneja drew a stick-figure cartoon in solidarity when Acharya’s account was first restricted.