Indian political cartoonists Manjul and Satish Acharya faced restrictions on their Instagram accounts in late September 2026, with Manjul's specific cartoon about the Election Commission and Acharya's entire account blocked in India following government directives. These actions stem from India's Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which grant authorities power to order content blocking.

These restrictions indicate an escalating pattern of online speech suppression targeting satirists in India. Critics argue the government uses these rules, which it states are intended to combat harmful content, to stifle political criticism and dissent, leading to concerns about the future of free expression and the democratic space in the country.

What the records show

Satish Acharya's Instagram account was restricted in India after Meta received a legal request from the government. His account was blocked from September 28 until late on October 5, 2026. A message displayed to users trying to access his account stated, "We restricted this post in India at the request of the government". These restrictions were made under the 2021 Information Technology Rules, which mandate social media platforms to remove "unlawful content" within three hours of government or court directives. The Indian government states these rules aim to address "fake, false, misleading information and AI-generated deep fakes" to protect democratic processes and public order. However, amendments to these rules "contain no explicit exceptions for satire, news reporting, academic research, or artistic expression".

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What we could not confirm