The Instagram account of Fridays For Future India (@fridaysforfuture.india) has been blocked in India under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, making it inaccessible to users within the country. The account represents the Indian branch of the youth climate movement and was blocked without any public explanation from the government or Meta, Instagram's parent company, according to medianama.com.
The block prevents viewing of the account from India, but the specific requester, legal provision cited, and reasons behind the action remain undisclosed. Past instances show Instagram has restricted content critical of data-centre projects, such as a reel from the Environmental Reporting Collective's “Dirty Data” project, which was blocked after 2.6 million views. That earlier restriction was based on Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, following a government request via the Sahyog portal and was linked to pressure on villagers near Google’s data centre in Andhra Pradesh.
The blocking of Fridays For Future India's Instagram account follows a pattern of content restrictions related to environmental activism and criticism of data-centre projects in India. The previous case involved a blocking order issued by the Andhra Pradesh CID’s Director General of Police, highlighting the use of legal provisions to limit digital content deemed sensitive by authorities. This raises concerns about the transparency and criteria used for content moderation under the IT rules, especially for climate activism groups.
The Fridays For Future India Instagram account remains inaccessible in India as of today, with no official statement explaining the block. The lack of clarity contrasts with earlier cases where legal orders were eventually disclosed, underscoring ongoing challenges in digital content governance under India’s IT regulations.