Meta has blocked access to a widely followed Muslim news account on Instagram in India following a legal request from the Indian government, the page’s founder said on Wednesday. The move was condemned as “censorship” amid intensifying hostilities between India and Pakistan.
Instagram users in India attempting to view content from the account @Muslim — which boasts 6.7 million followers — were met with a notice stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
The Indian government has not publicly commented on the decision. The restriction follows similar actions taken against the Instagram and social media accounts of several Pakistani public figures, including actors and cricketers.
Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh, founder and editor-in-chief of the @Muslim account, said he was alerted by hundreds of messages from Indian followers who could no longer access the page.
“Meta has blocked the @Muslim account at the legal request of the Indian government. This is censorship,” he said in a statement.
Meta declined to comment on the case, referring questions to its policy page, which outlines how the company complies with local laws when governments request content restrictions.
The news was first reported by User Magazine, a U.S.-based tech publication run by journalist Taylor Lorenz. It comes amid the deadliest India-Pakistan conflict in two decades. The two nuclear-armed nations have exchanged heavy artillery fire across their disputed border after India launched missile strikes in retaliation for a deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir — an attack it blames on Pakistan.
At least 43 people have died in the violence. Pakistan has denied responsibility and vowed to “avenge” those killed by Indian airstrikes.
The @Muslim account is one of Instagram’s most-followed Muslim news platforms. Khatahtbeh apologized to followers in India, saying, “When platforms and governments attempt to silence media, it shows we are doing our job — holding power to account.”
He added, “We will continue to document the truth and stand firmly for justice,” and called on Meta to lift the ban in India.
India has also blocked over a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels, accusing them of spreading “provocative” content. Recently, the Instagram account of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and cricket star Imran Khan was made inaccessible in India. Other banned figures include Pakistani celebrities Fawad Khan and Atif Aslam, as well as top cricketers like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shahid Afridi, and Wasim Akram.
As tensions escalate, a wave of online misinformation has flooded social media, with users sharing deepfakes and misleading visuals falsely linked to the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged both countries to halt hostilities and offered American assistance in de-escalating the crisis.