Meta Blocks Access to Muslim News Page in India Amid Rising Tensions
Meta has restricted access to a prominent Muslim news page on Instagram in India, citing a government legal request as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan. Users in India attempting to access the ‘@Muslim’ account—which boasts 6.7 million followers globally—now encounter a message stating the account is unavailable in their region due to compliance with local regulations.
The move comes amid the worst military hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors in two decades and signals intensifying content restrictions during periods of geopolitical conflict.
Account Founder Decries “Censorship”
Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh, founder and editor-in-chief of the @Muslim account, has condemned the restriction as government censorship. According to Yahoo News, Al-Khatahtbeh reported receiving “hundreds of messages, emails and comments” from followers in India unable to access the account’s content.
“Meta has blocked the @Muslim account by legal request of the Indian government. This is censorship,” Al-Khatahtbeh stated in an official response to the restriction. He apologized to Indian followers while arguing that the block suggests the outlet is “doing our job in holding those in power accountable.”
The account, among the most followed Muslim news sources on Instagram, pledged to “continue to document the truth and stand out firmly for justice” while calling on Meta to restore access in India.
Meta’s Policy on Government Requests
Meta has declined to comment specifically on the @Muslim restriction. According to Digital Journal, a company spokesperson directed inquiries to Meta’s policy webpage explaining its approach to content restriction when governments determine platform content violates local laws.
This policy allows Meta to maintain global operations while complying with varied national regulatory frameworks, though critics argue it enables government censorship. The company has faced similar controversies in other regions where authorities have requested content restrictions during political tensions.
Digital rights advocates have long raised concerns about the outsized influence governments can exert on social media companies through local legal frameworks, particularly during international conflicts.
Broader Pattern of Content Restrictions
The @Muslim account restriction appears to be part of a wider pattern of digital content limitations amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions. According to Arab News, India has blocked access to multiple Pakistani social media accounts and YouTube channels in recent weeks.
These include the Instagram account of Pakistan’s former prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan, as well as accounts belonging to Pakistani actors, musicians, and cricket players. Reports indicate more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels have also been restricted for allegedly spreading “provocative content.”
These digital restrictions mirror the physical conflict, which has seen artillery exchanges along the contested frontier following missile strikes that resulted in at least 43 reported casualties.
Context of Regional Conflict
The content restrictions come at a particularly volatile moment in India-Pakistan relations. According to multiple reports, the current escalation began after India blamed Pakistan for supporting a deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region, which Pakistan denies.
The Kashmir region, claimed by both countries, has been a flashpoint for conflict since partition in 1947. The current digital content restrictions reflect how modern conflicts extend beyond traditional battlefields into information spaces.
Neither the Indian government nor Pakistani authorities have officially commented on the specific Instagram restriction, though both have made statements regarding broader media access issues during the ongoing tensions.
