Guwahati: The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has sent a legal notice to Andhra Pradesh authorities over the blocking of a 2:01-minute Instagram reel featuring residents speaking about a proposed Google data centre in Visakhapatnam.

The reel, published by independent journalists Shamsheer Yousaf and Monica Jha, had garnered around 2.6 million views before it was blocked in India on May 22, 2026. IFF said the action was taken under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, through the government’s Sahyog Portal.

The legal notice, sent on behalf of the two journalists to the Principal Secretary, Home Department, and the Director General of Police, CID, Andhra Pradesh, seeks a review of the blocking order and restoration of the reel.

According to IFF, the journalists reported from Tarluvada village in Visakhapatnam district in January on the proposed Google data centre. Their reporting was part of Dirty Data, a global journalism project examining the impact of data centre expansion.

The journalists subsequently published a written report and a 5:06-minute video on the project. A shorter 2:01-minute version was later edited for Instagram and featured extracts from the longer report, including interviews with residents of Tarluvada.

The longer video remains available on YouTube and Instagram, IFF said.

Shamsheer discovered on May 22 that the shorter reel had been restricted in India. Instagram informed him that access had been restricted following a notice from the Government of India or law enforcement under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

The journalists subsequently approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) seeking the restoration of the reel, a copy of the blocking order and reasons for the action. They also sought an opportunity to respond to the allegations. IFF said no response was received.

A similar representation to Meta’s grievance officer in India also went unanswered, according to the foundation.

The journalists then approached the Delhi High Court on June 30, seeking restoration of the reel and a copy of the blocking order. The court issued notice on July 2.

At a subsequent hearing on July 23, Meta furnished a copy of the blocking order. The journalists then withdrew the petition with liberty to approach the jurisdictional High Court in Andhra Pradesh.

Blocking order questioned

IFF said the order raised questions because it referred to a person identified as Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, whom the journalists said they did not know and who had no connection with the blocked content.

The foundation also alleged that the procedure prescribed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, was not followed.

According to IFF, the journalists were not given notice, an opportunity to respond or a copy of the blocking order before the reel was restricted. It said these omissions violated safeguards under Rule 14 of the IT Rules.

The foundation argued that the blocking of the reel affected the journalists’ rights to freedom of speech and expression and to practise their profession under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.

IFF seeks review and restoration

In its legal notice, IFF has asked the Andhra Pradesh authorities to undertake the periodic review prescribed under the IT Rules and allow the journalists to participate in the process with legal counsel.

It has also sought a reasoned blocking order setting out the basis for restricting the reel and the provisions of law allegedly violated.

The foundation has asked the authorities to set aside the blocking order and restore the reel’s visibility in India.

The notice identifies the order as Notice No. 11052600021443, dated May 22, 2025, and attributes it to A. Ravishankar, Director General of Police, CID, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh. IFF’s notice describes the order as the basis for the blocking action.

The legal team representing the journalists comprises Apar Gupta, Avanti Deshpande, Naman Kumar, Uzma Sheikh and Pragya Jain.