Meta blocks viral AI video of Keralam Chief Minister dancing after government notice

Meta has restricted access in India to a viral, AI-generated video depicting Keralam Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan dancing, following a legal order from the central government. The block has gone ahead despite the Chief Minister himself publicly laughing at the clip and praising its quality.

The video, which shows Satheesan performing an energetic dance routine alongside officials from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), was created as political satire addressing recent power shortages in the state. Posted on 10 September 2026 to the Instagram page 'aikavala', the clip quickly went viral, racking up 1.78 crore views within three days.

On Sunday, 13 September, the page's creators received a notification from Meta. "We have restricted access to your content in India pursuant to notice from the Government of India," the message read.

Abhijith, who runs the Instagram page, said the video remains viewable outside India, likely because they had clearly labelled it as AI-generated. He told reporters he does not believe Satheesan’s office was behind the block.

"The Chief Minister really enjoyed it," Abhijith said. "So I don't think it came from his side. But there might be some cyber wings who might have initiated the steps."

Satheesan has been highly vocal about his amusement. Speaking on Monday, 14 September, at a law college graduation ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram, he admitted he was "shocked" when he first saw the deepfake but took it in good spirit.

"I saw myself leading a group dance," Satheesan said, joking that his performance was good enough to shock legendary Malayalam actor Mohanlal and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, a prominent actor-turned-politician.

"Although the video was partly intended to mock me, I was happy about it," he added, recalling how a five-year-old child had recently approached him to praise his "splendid" dancing.

However, the Chief Minister also acknowledged the deeper complications of the technology. "Artificial intelligence is creating many such things nowadays," Satheesan said. "There will be legal issues there. When they imitate many things like this, legal implications are bound to arise."

The intervention highlights the tension in India's regulatory environment regarding deepfakes and political satire. Under amendments to India's Information Technology Rules enacted in February 2026, social media companies face strict requirements to police what the law defines as "synthetically generated information." These rules allow platforms to host labelled satire, but they also mandate swift three-hour takedowns once the platform receives a formal order from a court or an authorised government officer.

Because the clip was labelled as an AI creation and operated as clear satire, it fell into a grey area. While the original post contained warnings, government officials apparently decided its replication of a public figure's likeness went too far.

It is not the first time Satheesan’s online presence has been caught in content moderation disputes. Meta previously removed several online news videos critical of the Keralam state government and the Chief Minister. In those instances, Satheesan denied making any removal requests, and his office wrote to Meta asking for the videos to be reinstated. Meta later blamed "technical reasons" for those takedowns.

This time, the creator of the dance video says they are not sure if they will challenge the restriction. For now, they are content with the reaction. "People everywhere have embraced it," Abhijith said. "We view that widespread acceptance itself as a major achievement."