Instagram’s policies are crushing the dreams of countless small businesses and creators. For too long, the platform has ignored the voices of those who built its community. Now, it’s time to hold Instagram accountable and demand fair treatment for everyone.

The Crisis at Hand:
Instagram has transformed from a platform for creativity and connection into a minefield for small businesses, creators, and marketers. What once empowered small enterprises to thrive is now suffocating them with unfair, opaque, and discriminatory practices.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Accounts are restricted, shadowbanned, or penalized with no clear explanation or recourse.
• Legitimate content from small businesses is flagged, while irrelevant or harmful posts from large corporations flourish unchecked.
• Instagram does not follow its stated timelines for appeals, leaving users waiting for months to resolve issues.
• Content is removed without thorough verification, causing undue harm to businesses and creators.
• Agents frequently blame automated systems for these issues, highlighting systemic flaws in Instagram’s content moderation processes.
• Instagram fails to comply with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which require platforms to:
  • Acknowledge user complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days.
  • Clearly specify reasons for content takedowns and provide users with a chance to appeal.
  • Appoint a Grievance Officer in India to address complaints efficiently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real Stories:

• Ritika, a small-business owner in Delhi, lost 60% of her revenue when Instagram flagged her account with no explanation. After three months of appeals, her business is still struggling.
• HireDesigners (A recruitment agency working towards a not for profit cause of betterment of design community) is facing a similar bans and is not able to post jobs that can help hundreds of designers. 
• Rohan, an artist from Mumbai, had his account flagged for “violating guidelines.” For six months, he’s been unable to sell his artwork online because Instagram has ignored his appeals.
• Shweta, a young entrepreneur from Jaipur, runs a handmade jewelry business. Last month, Instagram flagged her account for a vague “violation.” Despite multiple appeals, her account remains restricted, cutting her sales by over 70%. Shweta says, “I feel invisible. Instagram doesn’t care about small businesses like mine.”
• In October 2022, numerous Instagram users reported sudden account suspensions without prior warning. Many received messages stating their accounts were suspended, causing panic and disruption to their operations.
• Meta’s own transparency reports reveal that in November 2023, over 18.3 million pieces of content were removed from Facebook and 4.7 million from Instagram in India alone. While aimed at community standards, this large-scale moderation has unfairly affected legitimate creators and businesses.

For small businesses and creators, this isn’t just frustrating—it’s devastating. Marketing campaigns, customer relationships, and even livelihoods hang in the balance, yet Instagram refuses to provide the fairness and accountability its users deserve.

The Human Cost:

This treatment is nothing short of harassment for businesses that rely on Instagram to survive. Imagine this:

You’ve spent months building your brand, engaging with your audience, and running successful campaigns. One day, your posts are flagged, your reach vanishes, and your account faces penalties—all without explanation. Your revenue plummets, customers lose trust, and your hard work feels erased.

Meanwhile, larger corporations with massive budgets thrive under the same policies that cripple smaller players. Instagram’s biased algorithms prioritize big brands and viral content, creating an unfair playing field for startups, creators, and independent businesses.

Worse, Instagram’s refusal to follow local consumer protection laws and the IT Act makes the situation even more unjust. By failing to appoint a dedicated grievance officer or adhering to legally mandated timelines, Instagram disregards its responsibilities under Indian law. This lack of compliance amplifies the struggles of small businesses and creators.

In India, cases have highlighted how Instagram’s inconsistent enforcement enables harmful content to remain online while silencing legitimate creators and businesses. A study by Maktoob Media revealed that violent content by cow vigilantes remains unchecked despite violating Instagram’s guidelines. Additionally, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has received thousands of complaints regarding influencer violations, further exposing flaws in Instagram’s moderation system.

This isn’t just a broken system; it’s a betrayal.

Violators of the Law:

Instagram’s non-compliance with Indian laws is a serious concern. Here are key areas where it fails to uphold legal obligations:

1. Grievance Officer: The IT Act mandates that digital platforms appoint a Grievance Officer in India to address user complaints. Despite this, users often face unresponsive or inaccessible grievance channels, leaving them without recourse.
2. Response Timelines: The IT Act requires platforms to acknowledge user complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days. Instagram consistently fails to meet these deadlines, with some appeals taking months or remaining unresolved altogether.
3. Transparency in Actions: Platforms must provide specific reasons for content takedowns or account suspensions and allow users to appeal. Instagram’s vague, automated responses leave users in the dark, forcing them to operate without clarity or direction.
4. Data Protection: Indian laws emphasize the need for protecting user data and ensuring accountability in its use. Instagram’s opaque algorithms and lack of transparency raise questions about how user data is being handled, especially when it comes to content moderation and targeted ads.

These lapses in compliance not only harm individual users but also undermine the principles of fairness and accountability outlined in Indian laws. Instagram’s continued disregard for these legal obligations reflects a systemic failure to prioritize the rights and needs of its users.

What’s at Stake:

If Instagram remains unchecked, it won’t just harm small businesses and creators—it will erode the trust and diversity that make digital platforms valuable. The cost of inaction is too high:

• More businesses will lose revenue and fail to recover.
• Creativity and innovation will decline as creators abandon the platform.
• Consumers will lose access to diverse and authentic content.

A Path Forward:

1. We demand Instagram take immediate action to restore fairness, transparency, and equity:

1. Clear and Transparent Policies: Provide explicit guidelines about what constitutes a violation and why content is flagged.
2. Human-Centered Appeals Process: Replace automated responses with a dedicated team of real people to review flagged content and appeals in a timely manner.
3. Equity for Small Businesses: Ensure algorithms provide fair visibility to small businesses and creators, not just large corporations.
4. Legal Compliance: Commit to adhering to Indian IT laws by:
   1. Appointing a Grievance Officer in India.
   2. Responding to user complaints within 24 hours and resolving them within 15 days.
   3. Providing clear reasons for content takedowns and allowing appeals.
5. Timely Reviews: Adhere to the promised 15-day timeline for appeal resolutions, and provide real-time updates on the status of reviews.
6. Verification Before Content Removal: Implement thorough verification processes before taking down content to avoid wrongful penalties.

Call to Action:

We need your help to stop this harassment and hold Instagram accountable. Sign this petition to:

• Demand transparency and fairness for small businesses and creators.
• Push Instagram to follow the laws designed to protect its users.
• Protect the livelihoods of countless entrepreneurs who rely on this platform.

Your signature can make a difference. Together, we can show Instagram that they can no longer ignore the voices of small businesses and creators. Let’s remind them that their success depends on our creativity, businesses, and communities.

Act now before more businesses are silenced by unfair practices. Stand with us to build a fairer, more transparent Instagram for everyone.