New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has taken a stern stance against social media giant Meta following the temporary deletion of an official video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Committee Chairman and Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey has demanded a direct apology from Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, warning of severe legal repercussions for the platform.
During a crucial meeting on Monday, Meta representatives acknowledged that the video of the Prime Minister was removed from Facebook for approximately five hours, specifically between midnight and early morning. While the company attributed the incident to an algorithmic technical glitch, the parliamentary panel strongly rejected this explanation.
Nishikant Dubey termed the deletion a highly serious issue and alleged that it reflects a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he stated that a mere technical error excuse is completely inadequate when the official content of the Indian Prime Minister is involved. He firmly demanded that a personal apology must come directly from Mark Zuckerberg.
The committee issued a strict ultimatum to the technology company. Dubey warned that if Zuckerberg fails to apologize, the government will consider stripping Meta of its safe harbor protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This vital legal provision currently shields social media intermediaries from liability for content posted by third party users. Losing this immunity would directly expose Meta to legal action and criminal cases for any user generated content shared on its platforms.
Beyond the video deletion controversy, the parliamentary panel grilled Meta officials over alleged algorithmic bias and massive content moderation failures. Dubey pointed out that while official videos are swiftly taken down, the platform consistently fails to remove highly objectionable materials, including child sexual abuse content and posts targeting women. Lawmakers expressed deep concerns that social media algorithms are allegedly manipulated to amplify unverified groups while suppressing legitimate voices.
This intense scrutiny marks a critical escalation in the ongoing friction between the Indian government and global technology corporations. With the committee demanding strict accountability rather than simple apologies, social media platforms operating in India may soon face much tighter regulatory compliance and direct governmental oversight.