HRF Condemns Instagram’s Restriction on ‘Stop Vizag Data Centers’ Account, Asks Meta to Publish Legal Basis

Members of environmental organizations and residents hold placards in protest against the proposed data center projects in and around Visakhapatnam. File | Photo credit: V. Raju

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) condemned Meta’s September 19 ban on the Instagram account of the citizen-led “Stop Vizag Data Centers” campaign in India, saying the action limited the platform for public scrutiny of hyperscale data center projects in and around Visakhapatnam.

In a statement on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), HRF officials said nine contributions from the account had also been restricted in previous weeks. They claimed that online criticism of hyperscale data centers in the region was repeatedly curtailed based on “legal requirements under India’s Information Technology Rules”.

HRF officials said the campaign, launched in July, raised questions about the projects’ water, land and electricity requirements, use of public resources, environmental risks and lack of transparency and public participation.

According to HRF representatives, the campaign attracted 56,000 views and 11,800 followers in two months. They also claimed that posts from HRF and an investigative documentary by the Environmental Reporting Collective faced restrictions on Instagram.

HRF State General Secretary Y. Rajesh and HRF Andhra Pradesh Coordinating Committee Member and Telangana Coordinating Committee Member VS Krishna demanded that Meta restore the account and disclose the legal basis for the restriction, including the authority that requested it and the specific request.

HRF representatives said public interest projects should be subject to scrutiny and called for transparency and public debate on data center projects in the region.

Published – 23 Sep 2026 09:32 IST