HRF condemns Instagram curbs on ‘Stop Vizag Data Centers’ account, asks Meta to disclose legal basis
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has criticized Meta for restricting an Instagram account associated with a campaign opposing data center projects in Visakhapatnam. The group is demanding transparency regarding the legal basis for these content restrictions.
Why it matters
The conflict raises important questions about corporate censorship, the role of social media in public discourse, and the environmental impact of large-scale digital infrastructure.
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has condemned Meta’s restriction of the Instagram account of the citizen-led ‘Stop Vizag Data Centers’ campaign in India on September 19, alleging that the action had curtailed a platform for public scrutiny of hyperscale data centre projects in and around Visakhapatnam.
In a statement on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), the HRF’s representatives said nine posts from the account had also been restricted in the preceding weeks. They alleged that online criticism of hyperscale data centres in the region had repeatedly been restricted under “legal requirements under India’s Information Technology Rules”.
HRF representatives said the campaign, launched in July, had raised questions about the projects’ requirements for water, land and electricity, the use of public resources, environmental risks and the lack of transparency and public participation.
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