Meta has blocked access to a major Muslim news page on Instagram within India, following a legal request from the Indian government, according to the page’s founder. The ban on the handle @Muslim — which has 6.7 million followers — was described as “censorship” by founder and editor-in-chief Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh, who criticised the move during rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
When Indian users attempt to view the page, they are met with a message saying the account is “not available in India” due to a legal request. The Indian government has not commented on the restriction, which comes after multiple Pakistani celebrities and athletes also had their social media profiles blocked in India.
Al-Khatahtbeh said he had been inundated with messages from followers in India who could no longer see the page’s content. “Meta has blocked the @Muslim account by legal request of the Indian government. This is censorship,” he said in a statement.
Meta did not respond directly to the situation but referred media queries to its policy page explaining that it sometimes restricts content in line with local laws.
The blocking was first reported by User Magazine, run by US tech journalist Taylor Lorenz. It coincides with some of the most severe military clashes between India and Pakistan in 20 years. The two nuclear-armed nations have exchanged artillery fire across their disputed border, following Indian missile strikes in retaliation for an alleged Pakistan-backed attack on tourists in Kashmir — a claim Islamabad denies.
At least 43 people have reportedly died in the recent hostilities, and Pakistan has vowed to retaliate for the Indian strikes.
The @Muslim page, one of the largest Muslim-focused news accounts on Instagram, has responded to the restriction by vowing to continue its work. Al-Khatahtbeh apologised to Indian followers and said the ban showed that the platform was “doing its job” by holding power to account.
India has also restricted access to more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels accused of spreading inflammatory material. Among those affected in recent days are former Pakistani prime minister and cricket legend Imran Khan, along with actors and sports figures such as Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam, Babar Azam, and Wasim Akram.
The surge in hostility between the neighbours has also resulted in a wave of online disinformation, including manipulated videos and misleading images circulating widely on social media.
US President Donald Trump has called for both India and Pakistan to cease hostilities immediately and has offered Washington’s help in defusing the crisis.
