Two independent journalists dragged MeitY to Delhi HC over an Instagram reel blocked by government order. The 2-minute reel detailed local concerns around Google's under-construction AI data center in Andhra Pradesh. The petition directly questions the legal grounds for blocking content under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.
How We Got Here
The block came via a notice under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, which deals with intermediary liability. This legal challenge invokes the Supreme Court's 2015 Shreya Singhal ruling, which conditioned blocking requests on due process and Article 19(2) grounds.
The Numbers
- The blocked 2:01-minute reel featured interviews with four residents of Tarluvada village in Visakhapatnam district.
- Instagram geo-restricted the reel on May 22, based on a "Government of India / Law Enforcement" notice.
- A longer 5:06-minute video of the same report remains accessible on Instagram and YouTube in India.
- Petitioners Shamsheer Yousaf and Monica Jha named MeitY, MHA, MIB, Delhi Police IFSO, and Meta as respondents.
- Meta previously removed content from Andhra Pradesh’s Human Rights Forum on similar environmental and human rights issues.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For independent journalists and environmental activists working in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, arbitrary content blocks could stifle critical ground reporting and digital advocacy.
The Take
What's being missed is the chilling effect this arbitrary, unexplained blocking has on reporting that scrutinizes large-scale industrial projects like data centers. It suggests a lack of consistent policy enforcement, given the longer video remains live.
Source:
MediaNama ↗