Instagram blocked: Turkey’s response to Meta’s ‘censorship’?

Turkey has blocked access to Instagram in the country. Turkish users woke up to being unable to access Meta’s social media platform.

The decision to ‘ban’ Instagram, was posted on the Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) website, without any accompanying explanation for the move or its anticipated duration, according to local media.

Local media cited government sources to report on the ban which was “done using the authority’s discretionary power.”

Additionally, the reports said the move comes after Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun criticised Instagram, for allegedly blocking condolence posts regarding the killing of Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas figure.

Altun condemned the social media platform’s action, calling it “censorship” and asked why Instagram had not provided any policy violations, for its decision.

The BTK is expected to secure a court order within 24 to 48 hours to formalise the ban, added the reports.

There was no immediate comment from Instagram parent company – Meta Platforms, on the ban.

According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million Instagram users in the country.

Here are some posts by Instagram users in Turkey, who took to platform X, to talk about the restriction.

Sabah uyandığım da instagram erişim engelini öğrendiğimde ben #SonDakika #instagramdown #instagram #erişim

— Jill Peters (@JillPeters8456) August 2, 2024

instagram Türkiye’de erişime kapatılmış, hayat bitti. #instagramdown pic.twitter.com/j6iD9G1q0y

— onur (@onurcanoglu0) August 2, 2024

2024 yılında 21. Yüzyılda Instagram kapaniyo ya#çökmedi #instagramdown pic.twitter.com/d96ksyweP2

— Mete ferguson (@Fergusonmete) August 2, 2024

Instagram BTK kararıyla Türkiye’de erişime kapatıldı. pic.twitter.com/8LvuK1ZeT8

— Con Sinov (@lordsinov) August 2, 2024

Read: Microsoft’s latest outage caused by ‘DDoS attack’