Meta ready to apologise for brief restriction of PM Modi’s Facebook post

Social media giant Meta told a parliamentary committee on Monday that it is ready to apologise for the brief restriction of a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook, even as several members pressed for legal action and clear fixing of accountability.

The Standing Committee on Information Technology, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, met to discuss how social and digital platforms are regulated. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan, and representatives from Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram), Google, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, and YouTube attended the meeting.

Sources said members asked if Meta is following Indian laws, especially since the company makes a lot of money in India. Officials faced questions about algorithmic bias, and some members were concerned that objectionable content, like pornography, stays online while ‘genuine’ content is taken down. One MP wanted to know why Prime Minister Modi’s video was restricted when other harmful material was still available, and also asked who is ultimately responsible.

Earlier, the Government had summoned Meta’s top executives. On July 23, Prime Minister Modi posted a selfie video, first on Instagram and then shared on Facebook, where he spoke to India’s youth and promised strict action against exam paper leaks. The post was briefly restricted on Facebook in late July. Users in India saw notices saying the content was unavailable in the region after a legal request. Meta said the incident was due to a technical glitch or an error in its AI-powered content moderation system, restored the post, and apologised, saying the content was removed ‘in error.’

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said Meta’s explanation was ‘inadequate.’ IT Secretary S Krishnan said the ministry welcomed Meta’s admission of error but needed more details, since the issue affects national security and public order. Meta later told the Government it had added more safeguards, such as multi-level senior reviews and more oversight for posts by the Prime Minister and other important accounts, starting around July 28.

At Monday’s meeting, Meta officials said they regretted the incident and were ready to apologise. A BJP MP replied that an apology was not enough and stressed the need for accountability and legal action. Another member said that in a democracy, if the Prime Minister’s video is not secure, someone must be held responsible. The panel also asked how well the algorithms work to detect deepfakes of the Prime Minister.

After the meeting, Committee Chairman Nishikant Dubey asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to apologise directly. He pointed out that the content was unavailable for several hours and called the incident serious, mentioning earlier statements by Zuckerberg. Dubey warned that if concerns are not addressed, the Government could remove safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act. He also brought up other issues, such as algorithmic bias, differences in how political parties’ content is promoted, and how the platforms handle child sexual abuse material and content about women, saying the companies have not followed Government rules well enough.

This incident has put a spotlight on how global platforms manage content moderation in India. Some panel members and Government critics pointed out that official content sometimes gets removed quickly or by mistake, while harmful posts can stay online.

These platforms are now under pressure to set up clear and effective systems that protect public order, privacy, and democracy. Still, Meta has said it will ‘ringfence’ high-profile accounts and has shared new protocols with MeitY. More discussions between Meta and Government officials about policy and technical matters are expected. The panel’s work is part of a broader push to improve how social and digital platforms are regulated, especially amid worries about algorithms, misinformation, deepfakes, and accountability.

When the Prime Minister’s post was briefly restricted during student protests and a legislative debate, the issue moved beyond a technical error. It raised questions about trust, digital independence, and the influence of foreign tech companies in India. Panel members said that saying sorry is not enough; real steps are needed to take responsibility, stop these problems from happening again, and keep standards consistent.

“As these discussions go on, the rules and decisions that result will influence what people expect from major platforms. This is especially important for transparency, fair algorithms, and obeying the law,” sources added.