Inserts:

00:03 Report | Adil Bhat & Sharique Ahmad
00:34 Sakhi | Student protester
02:09 Apar Gupta | Founder of Internet Freedom Foundation

Script:

+++++

00:00- 00:03  

ATMO: Sakhi laughing at police (Please keep it)  

00:03 – 00:018 

Satire and mocking authority are at the heart of India’s now famous ‘Cockroach movement’.  
So too is sharing content online. 
Sakhi is a student and a proud ‘cockroach’ protestor who used Instagram to amplify the youth party’s message.  

00:18 - 00:22 

ATMO ( Please keep it)  

00:22- 00:33 

In this reel, she pokes fun at police officers during their protests. It reached 40 million views. 
Soon after, Sakhi says her videos started disappearing. 

Sakhi, Student protestor  

SOT (English) 00:34- 00:57 

“This is a systematic move by the government because it does not like... the government does not like criticisms that we do on them. They do not like that we can laugh at them. They do not like that we can question them.  They do not like when we expose their things, expose their policies, or talk about the failures of the policies.” 

00;58- 1:15 

Sakhi says five of her Instagram reels were taken down; others were restricted.  

Meta pointed to a provision of India’s information technology law that requires social media platforms to restrict flagged content - or risk losing their legal protection in the country.  

Sakhi, Student protestor 

SOT (English) 1;15- 1:39 

“All my Instagram reels have been removed under the local law, under the IT Act of India and that directly shows that there was a policy brought by the government, which is now getting used to remove content on Instagram. We cannot even appeal it, we need to go to court. Meta can also not do anything when local law is involved.” 

1:39- 2:06 

Sakhi isn’t the only one who is reporting content takedowns. Fellow cockroach party members, opposition politicians, journalists, and activists have detailed similar experiences. 

The Indian Express claims to have seen data that shows the federal government sent - one takedown request - a minute to social media firms like Meta. 

The founder of a digital rights group called “Internet Freedom Foundation” is concerned about what direction this is taking.  

Apar Gupta, Founder of Internet Freedom Foundation 

SOT (English) 2:06- 2:22 

“The role the government is playing is that it wants all META platforms which is Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook to become the political pulpit and the broadcast channel for the official state propaganda which is for BJP’s own political interest. \ 

2:22- 2:27 

And it does so, he says, by putting pressure on Meta – which needs the Indian market 

Apar Gupta, Founder of Internet Freedom Foundation 

SOT (English) 2:27- 2: 33 

“META needs to exist in India because India is quite arguably its largest market in terms of users.” 

2:34- 2:43  

DW reached out to the responsible government ministry for an interview regarding allegations of censorship and suppression of content related to the cockroach protests. 

2:44- 2:49 

A spokesperson declined an interview but sent us a written statement, saying the government does not censor online content... but ensures that – quote - only objectionable content as clearly defined in Article 19 (2) is restricted. 

Vinod Kumar, Director, Ministry of Electronics and IT  

“Instagram posts, posted by students and protesters at large, are not being taken down as alleged. Media enjoys freedom in India. The Government does not censor online content. Government exercises its responsibility to make sure that only objectionable content as clearly defined in Article 19(2) are restricted. The Government engages all significant social media intermediaries, including Meta, and sensitizes them about the legal provisions.”\ 

2:52- 3:05 

DW also contacted Meta for comment but got no response. 
Meanwhile, for Sakhi, there is no backing down. She says she and her fellow student protesters will continue posting and protesting.