- Mark Zuckerberg has been given a three-day ultimatum by a parliamentary panel to apologise for the removal of PM Modi's video, which the panel described as an 'attack on democracy'.
- The panel warned that non-compliance could lead to the Government of India considering revoking Facebook's Safe Harbor protection.
- The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded that Zuckerberg take action against those responsible for the video removal.
- Meta briefly restricted the Facebook version of PM Modi's video before restoring it after significant backlash.
- The IT ministry rejected Meta's explanation of a 'technical glitch' as 'not reasonable' and urged the company to improve its systems.
- PM Modi's video, which was his first direct selfie video, addressed student protests and promised strict measures against paper leaks.
- The parliamentary panel, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, described the deletion of the video as an 'attack on democracy'.
- The panel has also directed major digital platforms to remove Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) and objectionable content targeting women within three days.
- Telangana Police have registered an FIR against Meta for a fake video of PM Modi and against Google for hosting fraudulent financial applications.
The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology has issued a three-day ultimatum to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding an apology for the brief removal of Prime Minister Modi's video, which the panel described as an "attack on democracy" targeting the representative of 1.4 billion Indians.14
The controversy arose after the selfie-style video, which addressed student protests and promised action against paper leaks, was temporarily restricted on Facebook before being restored due to public backlash. The panel, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, stated that failure to comply could lead to the revocation of Facebook's Safe Harbor protection, exposing its officials to direct criminal prosecution.2
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology criticized Meta's explanation of the incident as a "technical glitch", asserting that the company should enhance its systems to prevent such occurrences. The panel's ultimatum reflects growing tensions between the Indian government and social media platforms, as it also directed major digital companies to remove Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material within three days, warning of strict action for non-compliance.
Earlier this week, Meta officials faced scrutiny from the government, with the IT ministry deeming their explanations "unreasonable". The situation underscores the increasing pressure on social media companies to adhere to local regulations and respond to government demands promptly.5
“BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who heads the panel, called the removal an 'attack on democracy' targeting the representative of 1.4 billion Indians; Meta reinstated the Facebook version after backlash over the July 23 restriction. Separately, Telangana Police filed an FIR against Meta over a fake PM Modi video and against Google over fraudulent financial apps.”
