Norwegian Journalist’s Meta Accounts Suspended After Questioning Modi
Oslo —Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng of the daily Dagsavisen has had her Facebook and Instagram accounts suspended by Meta within hours of going viral for challenging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his refusal to take questions from the press during his Norway visit.During Modi’s joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, no…
Oslo —
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng of the daily Dagsavisen has had her Facebook and Instagram accounts suspended by Meta within hours of going viral for challenging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his refusal to take questions from the press during his Norway visit.
During Modi’s joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, no press Q&A session was held. A voice — believed to be Lyng’s — was heard calling out: “Why won’t you take questions from the world’s freest press?” She later noted that Norway ranks first on the World Press Freedom Index, while India sits at 157th.
Shortly after her video went viral internationally, both her Meta-owned accounts were deactivated without explanation. Writing on X, Lyng called it “a small price to pay for a free press,” adding that she had spent the entire day trying to regain access.
The incident has sparked a broader diplomatic flashpoint. At a foreign ministry briefing in Oslo, Indian officials clashed with Norwegian journalists over press freedom and human rights — defending India’s democratic record. The Indian Embassy had earlier invited Lyng to a separate media briefing, though critics questioned the adequacy of the response.
Meta has made no public statement on the suspensions.
