Indian cartoonist's profile vanishes again as platform orders surge

Satish Acharya, a 55-year-old Indian cartoonist, found his Instagram account inaccessible to domestic users for the second time in three weeks. The block occurred on Tuesday, rendering his profile invisible to anyone searching within India or clicking a direct link. A message displayed to users indicated the restriction was applied under India's Information Technology Rules, though the platform did not provide a specific reason for the action.

This is not the first time Acharya has faced such a disruption. His account was previously restricted from 28 September to 6 October. During that period, he wrote to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, but received no reply. He was preparing to file a lawsuit when his profile became accessible again in early October. The recent three-day block interrupted his work just as he was finalizing legal preparations.

The restrictions on Acharya’s work occur against a backdrop of increased government oversight of digital content. According to a report by the Indian Express, federal agencies issued nearly 195,000 blocking and content-restriction orders to platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube between March and July. These orders were processed through the government's Sahyog portal. The figures were obtained via a right-to-information request, although they do not specify the final number of posts removed.

Technology policy expert Prateek Waghre noted that Meta appears more willing to comply with these legal orders than competitors like X, which has shown a tendency to push back. Meta told the BBC that it may temporarily restrict accounts to adhere to India's IT Rules but declined to comment on why Acharya’s account or another cartoonist's post were specifically targeted. The BBC has also sought comment from India's IT ministry regarding the restrictions and recent instructions to Meta, but has not received a response.

The impact of these blocks is felt acutely by independent artists who rely on social media for distribution. Manjul, another Indian cartoonist, saw Instagram restrict a post criticizing the country's election commission over its revision of voter rolls. Unlike Acharya, Manjul’s profile remained accessible, but the incident contributed to growing concerns about the suppression of political satire. Critics argue that these legal tools are being used to limit humor that challenges the current administration.

Political dissent through humor has gained traction among younger Indians. Memes and online jokes played a role in the July protests over education and jobs, which resulted in the resignation of the education minister. The debate has also intensified around a voter roll revision that removed 130 million names. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has urged ministers to strengthen their online presence, acknowledging the power of digital platforms in shaping public opinion.

Acharya stated that while Meta has limited the reach of his cartoons for years, the complete restriction of his profile was emotionally difficult. He noted that he never faced official restrictions during previous governments, despite occasional online criticism. Now, with the BJP in power, his satire primarily targets the current administration. Before 2014, many of his cartoons were shared by BJP leaders when they targeted the Congress-led government.

Rachita Taneja, creator of the popular Instagram comic Sanitary Panels, described the reliance on platforms as a vulnerability. She stated that her career would not exist without the internet, but that social media serves as a double-edged sword because it is a for-profit business answering to advertisers. Taneja believes Meta’s compliance with government requests reflects commercial priorities rather than user rights. She drew a stick-figure cartoon in solidarity when Acharya’s account was first blocked in September.

Sandeep Adhwaryu, a cartoonist at a leading Indian newspaper, said that self-censorship is becoming normalized among artists. He noted that cartoonists may soften captions or avoid certain topics to avoid trouble. He described the nature of the craft as oppositional, stating that cartoonists, like journalists, must question whoever holds power. Acharya and other artists continue to draw, relying on their online communities to sustain their work despite the technical hurdles.

The current restrictions join a long history of attempts to curb political expression in India. During the 1970s Emergency, cartoonist Abu Abraham continued drawing even as works were stamped by censors. In 2012, Aseem Trivedi was arrested on sedition charges for cartoons mocking the constitution, a case that was later dropped. Today, India ranks 157th in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, with critics arguing that pressure on independent media is growing while the government maintains that its media remains free.