Turkey has blocked access to Instagram after a top government official criticized the platform for censoring content related to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The Turkish presidency’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, accused Instagram of censorship and vowed to defend freedom of expression against such actions. Ismail Haniyeh, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was assassinated in Tehran, sparking outrage in Turkey. The move to block Instagram has affected over 50 million users in the country, leading to complaints on social media. Turkish digital law expert Yaman Akdeniz criticized the arbitrary censorship and questioned the necessity for such actions. Mockery ensued on other social media platforms, with memes and jokes about the ban circulating online. Meta Platforms Inc, which owns Instagram, has not commented on the ban or the accusations of censorship. The decision to block access to Instagram in Turkey highlights ongoing concerns about freedom of expression and censorship on social media platforms.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
