Several videos (here, here, and here) are being shared on social media claiming that Instagram will be banned in India from 10 May 2025 to prevent information leaks and cyberattacks amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Instagram will be banned in India from 10 May 2025 amid the tensions between India and Pakistan.
Fact: The Government of India has made no such announcement. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has confirmed that the claim is false. Therefore, the viral post is FALSE.
An internet search using relevant keywords did not yield any credible reports about such a decision by Meta, the parent company of Instagram. Additionally, the Indian government has not announced any plan to ban Instagram nationwide.
We then contacted Meta, and they confirmed that the viral claim is false. Similar rumours about Instagram being banned circulated in 2023 as well, and FACTLY had published a fact-check debunking the claim at that time.
However, according to media reports (here, here & here), on 05 May 2025, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology expressed serious concerns regarding the role of certain social media influencers and entities in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. The committee noted that some of these entities appeared to be acting against the interests of the country, potentially inciting violence through their content. In light of these observations, the committee has urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to take prompt and effective action. Moreover, following an order from the government related to national security and public order, social media accounts belonging to some Pakistani media outlets, influencers, and celebrities were blocked in India amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
To sum it up, the Instagram ban rumour amid India-Pakistan tensions is false
