New Delhi: The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has released a statement on Monday, October 19, demanding the withdrawal of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s advisory to Meta concerning protest reporting on social media platforms Instagram and Facebook. IFF has alleged that the directions risk suppressing dissenting reportage and public discussion of protests.In a post on X, IFF argued that MeitY’s October 10 advisory could facilitate restrictions on content documenting police action. “It [the advisory] singles out ‘unverified or misleading claims regarding the imposition of emergency, restrictions, police action or other official measures’,” IFF said.What does the advisory say?The MeitY Cyber Laws Division advisory asks Meta to exercise enhanced surveillance over content relating to public-order and law-and-order situations. It warns that material presented without adequate context could contribute to “public confusion and disturbance”.“Meta Platforms, being an intermediary as defined under the Information Technology Act, 2000, are required to observe due diligence and other obligations…The Rules, inter alia, require intermediaries to inform users regarding information which is prohibited under the Rules, including information which is likely to cause public disorder or incite the commission of a cognizable offence relating to public order,” the advisory reads.It advises Meta to review its content-ranking mechanisms and address “misleading claims” concerning restrictions and police action.One of the directives in the advisory reads: “Strengthen mechanisms for rapid identification, review and escalation of content which is gaining significant reach through recommendation systems and has the potential to cause widespread public confusion, apprehension, violence or disturbance of public order.”This advisory was not published on MeitY’s website and was reported by Hindustan Times and PTI on October 18.IFF emphasises restrictions on media and activist accountsIFF noted that Molitics India’s Instagram account was withheld in India on October 10, along with restrictions imposed on a Mathrubhumi English video, an Observer Post Hindi report, journalist Shubhangi Das Gupta’s Instagram account and the Journo Mirror account within a span of few days.The video shared by the Mathrubhumi account on October 11, reportedly showed a woman clinging to a pole as police officers attempted to drag her away. The reel was soon made unavailable on grounds of “a notice from the Government of India/Law Enforcement.”IFF statement says that censorship by MeitY manifests itself in two forms under the currently observed framework: either as a “notice from the Government of India/Law Enforcement under Section 79(3)(b)” or a message reading “through an automated system implemented pursuant to legal requirements under India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.”These notifications do not cite the specific content, legal provision or alleged offence necessitating the censorship, adding to the perils of anti-incumbent content or visuals evidencing state brutality being disproportionately targeted.IFF calls for disclosure and restoration of deactivated contentThe digital rights advocacy organisation has demanded that MeitY publish and withdraw its advisories issued on October 8 and 10 and to restrict content only by “reasoned, published orders under Section 69A or notices compliant with Rule 3(1)(d).”It also asked Meta to disclose publicly every takedown, account deactivation and deliberate “downranking” of dissenting content. The statement adds that Meta must also “restore the accounts and posts of journalists, outlets and creators restricted since October 8, 2026, unless it holds a valid legal order, and must furnish that order to the person affected.”Demanding the suspension of automated content restrictions in India, IFF offered to provide pro bono assistance to people whose accounts or content had been withheld in India since October 8.