Instagram withholds Canada-based Sikh media after Indian government request

In response to a request from the Indian government, Meta prevented users in India from viewing the Instagram account of Canadian media organization Baaz News, which covers the global Sikh and Punjabi diaspora. 

Baaz News noted the ban in a tweet on Sept. 6, 2023, and shared a screenshot from Instagram which said that the publication’s website had been restricted in India after an “emergency order” from the government under the country’s Information Technology Act. 

The publication’s Twitter account was also blocked in India in March 2023 after a government request under the Information Technology Act.