AI, Social Media, and the Marginalization of Indian Muslims

Abstract This article examines Instagram’s engagement-driven algorithms and their role in shaping the visibility, perception, and suppression of Muslim identities in India. It draws on twenty semi-structured interviews with academic experts from prominent Indian universities, analyzed through reflective thematic analysis. The study shows that algorithmic curation amplifies polarized, majority-centric content while pushing alternative narratives to the margins. Recommendation systems that prioritize attention over ethical considerations convert visibility into vulnerability, encouraging minority users to engage in strategic self-censorship. Using the Spiral of Silence and intersectionality frameworks, the article advances the concept of algorithmic silence: technologically mediated constraints on speech that arise from reputational, economic, and legal consequences of being visible, rather than from direct censorship. The findings indicate that religion, gender, and class shape unequal exposure to risk, enabling Instagram’s AI to operate as a cultural and political filter that reproduces offline hierarchies within digital spaces. Situated in India’s diverse yet polarized media landscape, the study contributes to debates in communication theory, digital sociology, AI ethics, and minority and Islamic studies, and argues for greater transparency, equity, and accountability in the governance of social media platforms.