Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng says Meta suspended her Instagram and Facebook accounts after a confrontation with India’s Ministry of External Affairs over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to take questions during his Oslo visit.
Lyng posted a video of herself asking Modi why he ignores queries from the “world’s freest press.” The clip went viral; she told X that both accounts were suspended on May 19 and she has 180 days left to appeal.
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Lyng — who clarified she is “not a spy” and called journalism “sometimes confrontational” — said the bans are a “small prize to pay for press freedom.” The episode prompted an MEA briefing in which Secretary (West) Sibi George defended India’s constitutional guarantees and democratic framework.
The suspension’s cause remains unclear, and the incident has reignited debate over press access and contrasting press-freedom rankings: Norway tops the index, while India ranks 157th.
