Meta blocks accounts of activists protesting Kushner-linked project in Albania

Dozens of Instagram accounts used by Albanian activists, journalists and an opposition party leader disappeared or became inaccessible as protests continued against a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

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When dozens of opposition and activist accounts linked to the same protest movement disappear almost simultaneously, we cannot simply treat it as a technical problem.

The demonstrations along Albania’s southern coast have lasted almost 100 days. Known as the “Flamingo Revolution,” they have grown into calls for the resignation of the entire Albanian government. Social media has played a central role, allowing citizens and journalists to report from the protests in real time, mobilize demonstrators and document clashes with police.

Over recent weeks, affected users began receiving copyright-violation notices. Their content was removed, and their accounts were suspended or closed. The users said they had not broken Instagram’s rules and that some of the flagged material consisted of videos and other content they had created themselves.

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Meta must explain what happened, and it must do so quickly.

Digital-rights organization Repro Uncensored said it reviewed hundreds of cases and found no violations of Instagram’s community standards. Its founder, Marta Dimitratu, said, “Most cases follow the same pattern: accounts are targeted by repeated copyright complaints, and platforms restrict or disable them before determining whether the complaints are valid.” She said some accounts had faced repeated complaints, while replacement accounts created after suspensions were also deactivated.

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Most cases follow the same pattern: accounts are targeted by repeated copyright complaints, and platforms restrict or disable them before determining whether the complaints are valid.

European Parliament member Sandro Goci condemned the restrictions. “When dozens of opposition and activist accounts linked to the same protest movement disappear almost simultaneously, we cannot simply treat it as a technical problem,” he said. “Meta must explain what happened, and it must do so quickly.” Meta said it was reviewing the measures and had already restored some accounts removed in error. The company apologized for the inconvenience and pointed to Instagram’s appeals process. Other users still faced limits on live broadcasts and collaboration tools, or what they described as shadow bans that reduced distribution without notice.

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We apologize for the inconvenience caused.