Artists vs Instagram: Evading Bias & Censorship

March 01, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Hello,

Instagram's shift from creative platform to censorship battleground has forced Indian artists covering political issues to develop sophisticated self-censorship strategies. The nail in the coffin was when Meta rolled out a feature limiting recommendation of political content on Instagram and Threads, last year. Read on!

LEARN WITH BOOM

Many of you might be aware of Google Lens and how you can upload any image and find out more about it by navigating the search results.

But what if I told you that there is a tool wherein the search results will only have pre-existing fact-checks. 

Say hello to Google Fact-Check Explorer!

It is a tool in which you can find fact-checks from around the world. You can search by text and images. 

Step 1: Upload the image that you want to check

Step 2: It will show you pre-existing fact-checks to indicate that the image has been verified previously. 

You can:

  • Search for topic and language specific fact-checks

  • Search for the most recent fact-checks (list:recent)

  • Search for fact-checks published by a specific fact-checking outlet (site:boomlive.in)

DECODE

‘When They See My Work, They See My Name’: Vikatan Cartoonist On Modi-Trump Satire

  • On 15 February, Tamil news website Vikatan mysteriously went offline following the publication of a political cartoon by Hasif Khan. 

  • The illustration depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in chains beside US President Donald Trump, satirising the deportation of Indians who had entered the US illegally. 

  • In an interview with Hera Rizwan, cartoonist Hasifkhan reflects on how political cartoons, once seen as a space for critique, now face backlash, trolling, and even government scrutiny. 

  • He shares how his name often leads to religious profiling in online abuse, especially from right-wing groups.

How Political Artists Are Evading Bias And Censorship On Instagram

Content creator’s voice: A visual artist by profession, 32-year-old Siddhesh Gautam goes by @Bakeryprasad on Instagram, where he shares his thought-provoking illustrations on caste, gender, and climate change. Born a Dalit, he turned to Instagram to tell stories from his community after realising there were few other avenues for such narratives.

Growing frustration: After more than five years on the platform, however, Gautam feels Instagram is no longer the welcoming space it once was. For a while now, political content creators and artists have been accusing the Meta platform of algorithmic bias, shadowbanning their accounts, and removing their content without reason. 

Tackling censorship: Now, they are making intentional typos and using right-wing hashtags on their posts to battle against Instagram’s censorship policies. Read Mohsina Malik & Ashish Kumar Kataria’s report.

EXPLAINED

"Kumbh Water Is Safe", Claims UP CM, But Government Data Contradicts

Days after a central government report raised concerns over the safety of river water at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, on 19 February, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath dismissed it. 

However, BOOM’s Nidhi Jacob analysed the data from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and found that it contradicts the claims made by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. The same report that the chief minister used to claim that Kumbh water is safe, reveals that it has much higher fecal coliform than permissible, making the water potentially dangerous for drinking and bathing. 

'FAKE NEWS’ YOU ALMOST FELL FOR

🔍 Does this video show cricketer Babar Azam being heckled by spectators during the India-Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025? Find out in 🔗 Srijit Das’ ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 Several social media users shared a video claiming to show new government car purchased by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta with 48 hours after taking oath. Read 🔗 Anmol Alphonso’s ↗️ fact-check.

🔍 A viral video showing an animal being slaughtered on a rooftop near the west tower of the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, was shared with a communal claim that the animal is a cow. 🔗 Shobana MR ↗️ debunked the claim.

🅱️ RECOMMENDS

This week's recommendation is: The Case for Facts

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