Rights forum condemns Instagram curbs on Vizag data centre campaign account

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has condemned Meta's restriction of the Instagram account belonging to the citizen-led 'Stop Vizag Data Centers' campaign, saying the action has narrowed a platform for public scrutiny of hyperscale data centre projects in and around Visakhapatnam.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, HRF representatives said nine posts from the account had also been restricted in the weeks before the account itself was curtailed on September 19. They alleged that online criticism of hyperscale data centres in the region had repeatedly been limited under what the platform described as legal requirements under India's Information Technology Rules.

According to the HRF, the campaign began in July and has raised questions about the water, land and electricity needs of the projects, the use of public resources, environmental risks, and what it describes as a lack of transparency and public participation. The representatives said the campaign had drawn 56 lakh views and 11,800 followers within two months.

They further alleged that posts by the HRF and an investigative documentary by the Environmental Reporting Collective had also faced restrictions on Instagram.

HRF State general secretary Y. Rajesh and HRF Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Coordination Committee member V.S. Krishna called on Meta to restore the account and to disclose the legal basis for the restriction, including the authority that sought it and the specific request made.

The representatives said public-interest projects should remain open to scrutiny and urged transparency and public debate over data centre projects in the region.