New Delhi: A video examining the impact of a Google data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh has reportedly been removed from Instagram following a government order. The two-minute reel uploaded by the Environmental Reporting Collective (ERC) was part of a longer video report titled ‘Meet the Villagers Fighting Google’s Biggest Data Center Outside the U.S.’. The longer video report is still available on Youtube.The ERC has launched a global investigation on the data centre industry and its human and environmental impact. The part on India has been reported by journalists Shamsheer Yousaf and Monica Jha, and studies the impact on Dalit communities who are allegedly being pushed to give up their lands and homes for the data centre project, and their resistance to this.In a statement, ERC has said that the Instagram video was restricted on May 22 – four days after it was published – pursuant to a notice from “The Government of India/Law Enforcement under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.” No further details or rationale have been provided for this, the statement says. The reel had garnered about 2.6 million views before being restricted.The ERC and its reporters have stood by their work and asked for the video to be reinstated immediately.The removal of online content posted by journalists, media organisations and others based on government orders has been increasingly common in India. India is also now among the “limited countries” where Facebook and Instagram can “automatically restrict content, at scale and based on local law requirements”.The launch of the Sahyog portal, a Union home ministry initiative used by law enforcement agencies to automate and expedite the removal of online content, has also increased the speed and frequency of such orders. The portal provides a web link for authorised police officials to enable bulk takedown orders, unilateral action, and direct communication with IT intermediaries, often targeting political criticism and satirical content, while offering no independent review process.Read the full ERC statement below:“The Environmental Reporting Collective (ERC) expresses serious concern over the lack of transparency surrounding Meta’s decision to block access in India to an Instagram reel connected to our cross-border investigation into the environmental and social impacts of data center expansion.“The two-minute reel, taken from video reporting by our partners Shamsheer Yousaf and Monica Jha from India, examines a proposed Google data center project in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and its reported impact on Dalit lands and local communities. The reel was published on May 19, 2026, collaboratively across Shamsheer’s as well as the ERC’s social media platforms as part of our global “Dirty Data” investigation, which examines the human and environmental costs of the rapidly expanding data center industry.“The video gained significant public attention, particularly on Instagram, where it went viral the following day and has since recorded more than 2.6 million views. On May 22 at approximately 2.00pm, ERC received a notification stating that the reel was no longer available in India.“The notification stated that the video had been restricted pursuant to a notice from “The Government of India/Law Enforcement under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.”“At this time, ERC has not received any detailed explanation regarding the legal basis, policy rationale, or specific complaint that led to the restriction of the content in India.“ERC stands firmly behind the reporting and editorial processes underpinning this investigation and accompanying video. The work was produced through a rigorous journalistic process involving extensive field reporting, documentation, interviews with affected communities and relevant stakeholders, editorial review, fact-checking, and cross-border collaboration among experienced journalists and partner newsrooms.“We believe transparency and accountability are fundamental principles when decisions are made to restrict access to public-interest journalism, particularly reporting concerning environmental governance, land rights, infrastructure development, and the experiences of marginalized communities.“The lack of clarity surrounding this restriction raises broader concerns about the mechanisms through which journalistic content can be limited from public view, especially when such reporting addresses issues of significant public interest.“We call on Meta and the relevant authorities to provide greater transparency regarding this decision and to reinstate access to the video in India. ERC is also currently seeking legal advice regarding this matter.“ERC remains committed to responsible, evidence-based reporting and to supporting journalists and communities whose stories deserve to be heard.”