Instagram is facing criticism after several users claimed that posts related to the ongoing student protests in Delhi are not reaching as many people as expected. According to a report by The Economic Times (ET), many users said videos, photos and stories from the protests are either being labelled as "sensitive content" or are simply not showing up on their feeds and Explore page despite actively following the issue.
The complaints started surfacing on Wednesday as users noticed that content from the protests was becoming harder to find. Some said Instagram had placed warning labels on posts that did not appear to contain any graphic or disturbing visuals, while others claimed the platform had stopped recommending protest-related content altogether.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) questioned why Meta has not explained these restrictions. "Certain stories are now restricted and display the message 'sensitive content', even when there is nothing sensitive in them. These include clips from television broadcasts and similar fare," IFF founder and lawyer Apar Gupta said, as quoted by Economic Times.
Several users also pointed out that Instagram had marked posts shared by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and politician Anish Gawande as "sensitive content".
In a conversation with The Daily Jagran, another user echoed similar sentiments, arguing that "the reach that was at 700K was reduced to a staggering 21k soon after they started posting about the protests". The user also shared screenshots of their professional dashboard for the same to show the drop in its view count and user activity.
Before
After
An Instagram user also alleged that their Explore page no longer reflects the kind of content they usually interact with. "My discovery page on Instagram hasn't been showing images and videos from the protest even though I have been actively consuming such content for the past few weeks. Some posts are flagged as `sensitive content’ but we are unable to view it even after clicking know more," the user said, as quoted by ET.
The concerns come at a time when social media has been flooded with visuals from the protests in Delhi. Over the past two days, videos and photographs showing clashes between protesters and police, including the use of tear gas and lathi charges, have been widely shared online. However, some users believe Instagram is no longer giving such posts the same visibility.
The controversy deepened on Wednesday when the official Instagram account of the Cockroach Janta Party, which has around 25 million followers, was temporarily blocked in India. Visitors to the account were shown a notice that read: "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."
Meta's Guidelines On Sensitive Content
Meta has previously explained that Instagram does not rely on a single algorithm to decide what people see on the platform. In a blog post, the company said it uses multiple algorithms, classifiers and processes, each serving a different purpose.
The company's Community Standards also explain that graphic or violent content may either be removed or shown with warning labels so users know it could be sensitive before choosing to view it.
Legal and cybersecurity experts told ET that while social media platforms do have certain powers to moderate content during riots or protests, any restriction without adequate explanation or transparency could raise concerns under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.