Altermidya Network strongly condemns the complete disabling of our member publication Bulatlat.com’s Instagram account by Meta on August 8, 2025. This unilateral move, which Meta did without explanation, recourse, or transparency, is outright censorship. It denies the public another platform for critical news and information.
In a notification, Meta informed Bulatlat that its account can no longer be viewed, that all information will be permanently deleted, and that no further review of the decision would be allowed.
Bulatlat has already written to Meta Philippines to request the immediate reactivation of its Instagram account. As of this writing, the newsroom has yet to receive a response.
It is deeply troubling that a global platform allows the proliferation of trolls, disinformation, and harmful content, yet censors a legitimate news organization for reporting on human rights and community struggles.
Altermidya stressed that this is not only a violation of Bulatlat’s right to publish but also an attack on press freedom and the people’s right to access truthful, critical, and relevant information.
We call on Meta to immediately reinstate Bulatlat’s account and to respect the role of independent media in a democratic society. We urge fellow journalists, press freedom advocates, and the public to stand in solidarity against censorship and in defense of the people’s right to know.#
