Meta-owned Instagram has restricted access in India to a two-minute reel posted by Maktoob Hindi covering the ongoing Jantar Mantar protests. The platform says it acted after receiving a legal requirement under India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
If you try to access the blocked URL, it displays the following message:
“The post is unavailable in India: We restricted access to this content pursuant to legal requirements under India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules. Log in to continue..”
Important note on Instagram’s app behavior: When you click the URL of the blocked content through the Instagram app, you will not see the notice above. Instead, a random, algorithmically selected reel starts playing automatically. The restriction notice is visible only when the URL is accessed through a web browser, such as on a laptop or desktop computer.
The video remains viewable to users outside India and to those accessing it through a VPN. The reel was geo-blocked by Meta based on an order whose origin has not been disclosed publicly. MediaNama downloaded the video and uploaded a copy to its archive. The archived version can be viewed here:
What is in the video? The now geo-blocked video was filmed against the backdrop of the ongoing protests in Delhi, where thousands of students, under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and allied student organisations, have been demonstrating at Jantar Mantar and marching towards Parliament Street, demanding accountability for the 2026 NEET paper leak.
The protests saw a heavy police crackdown on July 20, including the use of tear gas and baton charges. Visuals of injured students circulated widely on social media, along with internet shutdowns.
In the video, the speaker argues that the media narrative has historically been used to delegitimise protest movements, citing the 2020–21 farm law protests and the 2019–20 anti-CAA/NRC protests as examples. He says a similar discrediting campaign is being attempted now, but is failing to gain traction because audiences have become more aware of such tactics and are less receptive to narratives portraying protesters as externally instigated or anti-national. The video also includes an audio rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain.
Earlier instances involving Maktoob Media
A few excerpts from MediaNama’s earlier reporting on restrictions involving Maktoob Media:
- In March 2026, Maktoob Media’s Founding Editor, Aslah Kayyalakkath, wrote: “Two days ago, @MaktoobMedia received an email from X stating that the platform had been issued a blocking order by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, regarding our video explainer on the Kunan Poshpora mass rape,” he posted on X. The said post is now no longer available on X.
- March 2026: Maktoob Media’s founding editor, Aslah Kayyalakkath, said the publication received an email from X stating that the platform had been issued a blocking order by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, concerning a video explainer on the Kunan Poshpora mass rape case. The original X post is no longer available, although related content remains accessible on Instagram and YouTube. Explore March 2026’s full censorship tracker here.
- During the government’s crackdown related to the removal of 3,000 apps from the Play Store, authorities also blocked X accounts belonging to Maktoob Media. Read the full report here.
- On May 9, 2025, the X accounts of Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, and Free Press Kashmir became inaccessible in India. On May 19, 2025, Maktoob Media’s account was restored after the publication indicated it was preparing to approach the Supreme Court challenging the blocking order. Explore MediaNama’s censorship tracker after the Terrorist Attack in Kashmir in May 2025 here.
- In May 2025, the government also blocked the X accounts of the same three independent news organisations as part of a broader crackdown on what it described as Pakistani-origin content on OTT streaming platforms. Read the MediaNama’s coverage here.
MediaNama continues to track censorship-related developments in India under the tags Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Speech, Censorship, Censorship 2026, Digital Censorship, and India Censorship.
Also Read:
