SFLC.in has written to Meta raising concerns over the automated restriction of its Instagram content discussing the takedowns faced by Alt New and has seeked immediate restoration of the restricted content.
On September 17, 2026, SFLC.in published a Post discussing the restrictions faced by Alt News in relation to its reporting on the Chauhaan film teaser. The Post highlighted concerns around opaque content moderation systems and their impact on journalism and public-interest speech. Instagram subsequently restricted SFLC.in’s Post in India. The notification stated that the content was restricted through “automated systems implemented under legal requirements.” Three out of the five slides in the carousel Post have been restricted by Instagram, all three slides of the restricted Post specifically contain references to “Burhan Wani”.
Subsequently, after Scroll published a report on the restrictions faced by SFLC.in and Alt News, SFLC.in shared Scroll’s report through an Instagram Story on its public handle. This Story was also restricted through automated systems.
On September 22, 2026, SFLC.in received two notifications from Instagram stating that the Post and Story were available again in India and that the restriction had ended. However, despite the notification, the carousel Post continues to display only two of the five slides in the carousel Post. These are the same two slides that remained visible even while the restriction was in place. The three slides that were previously restricted continue to remain unavailable.
Please find below the letter.
Read our detailed statement on the issue here.
