India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has stated that merely apologizing for the removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Facebook is insufficient; those responsible must be identified and face legal action. This information comes from multiple sources present at the meeting, as reported by NDTV.
During the meeting, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Meta representatives faced tough questions regarding the removal of the Prime Minister’s video as well as issues concerning child sexual abuse content.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nishikant Dubey asserted that Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg must publicly apologize for the removal of Prime Minister Modi’s video. He warned that failure to do so could lead to a reconsideration of Meta’s ‘safe harbor’ protection in India.
Under India’s ‘safe harbor’ provisions, online platforms are shielded from direct legal liability for third-party content posted by users, provided they adhere to appropriate precautionary measures.
Representatives from Google, Meta, and YouTube, along with senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, participated in the parliamentary committee meeting to discuss social media regulation.
During the meeting, a senior BJP MP questioned Meta regarding who was responsible for removing Prime Minister Modi’s video and how such an incident occurred.
Government sources stated that the MP asked why the Prime Minister’s video was removed and who was accountable. He questioned why the Prime Minister’s video was singled out for removal while other objectionable content remained on Facebook, and demanded to know who ultimately bore the responsibility.
In response, Meta offered an apology and expressed regret over the incident, according to the sources. However, the MP made it clear that the matter could not be resolved by an apology alone; accountability had to be established, and necessary legal action taken.
He further questioned the safety of ordinary Indian social media users, asking that if the Prime Minister’s video could be removed in such a manner, what security existed for the general public.
Questions Raised About Algorithms
Following the meeting, Nishikant Dubey stated that all members of the parliamentary committee were in agreement regarding social media algorithms, noting that the issue was not political in nature. He asserts that the country needs to understand how the algorithms of Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube operate. He pointed out that while the combined viewership of the BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Aam Aadmi Party stands at approximately 23 million, certain new groups—which are neither registered political parties nor NGOs—are reaching a viewership of 27 million.
Dubey alleges that this situation has arisen due to policies that prioritize new accounts or groups within the algorithms.
‘A mindset to destabilize the country’
Dubey further stated that their intent is to destabilize the country. They themselves admitted that the Prime Minister’s video was missing from the platform for nearly five hours; it was removed from 12:30 AM until 5:00 AM. This is a matter of grave concern.
According to him, the parliamentary committee has made two recommendations: first, Mark Zuckerberg must personally apologize for this incident; second, if he fails to do so, the revocation of Meta’s ‘safe harbor’ protection should be considered.
Earlier last week, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta’s global representatives to provide an explanation regarding algorithmic bias, the management of platform algorithms, and their impact on public order.
Meta had claimed that the video of Modi was temporarily removed due to a technical glitch. However, government sources indicated that the ministry deemed this explanation “inadequate.”
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered a case against Meta India head Arun Srinivas, as well as several Facebook and Instagram accounts, for allegedly circulating morphed images and posts created using artificial intelligence (AI) that target Prime Minister Modi.
