Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing fresh pressure after the formation of a Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology in India, where the Committee gave Zuckerberg three days’ time to apologise regarding the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 23 video on Facebook.
According to the committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, the temporary deletion of the video posted by the elected Prime Minister was “an attack on democracy”. It was felt that such deletion from the social media platform was an issue of great concern.
It has been said that if Meta does not take any action against the people responsible for this, then the committee will recommend stripping the company of its safe harbour protection in India.
Safe Harbour Protection Comes Under Scrutiny
The committee said Meta has been taking advantage of the legal protection available to intermediaries.
Dubey said, “We wrote to the Ministry of IT and the Ministry of Home Affairs stating that deleting the Prime Minister’s video was not the responsibility of an intermediary but that of a publisher. Therefore, Mark Zuckerberg must apologize within three days. If he fails to do so, we will revoke the “safe harbour” protection currently provided to social media platforms, a privilege that they have been misusing.”
He also warned, “If FIRs are filed against the Meta chief by everyone affected by such content, there could be a nationwide flood of FIRs, and those responsible may face legal consequences.”
According to the panel, losing safe harbour protection could allow legal cases to be filed directly against officials of social media companies, subject to government approval.
What Happened to PM Modi’s Video?
The controversy began after Prime Minister Modi shared his first direct selfie video on Instagram. The video carried a message aimed at Gen Z, promising strict action against paper leaks during student protests led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The same video was posted on Facebook; however, it was temporarily banned by Meta due to criticism.
Meta described it as a technical issue and apologised for it. But the Information Technology Ministry is reported to have said that the reason put forward by the tech company is unconvincing because there should be a better system within a technology company not to commit such mistakes.
Meta Questioned Over Child Safety Concerns
The latest incident comes at a time when Meta is facing criticism from the government regarding the safety of children. This warning was issued to social media firms, including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Last month, the government issued a notice to Meta over allegations involving CSAM in paid Instagram advertisements.
According to National Crime Records Bureau data, 1,099 of the 1,238 cybercrime cases registered against children in 2024 involved the publishing or transmission of sexually explicit material featuring children. Overall crimes against children increased by 5.8% to 1.87 lakh cases, while offences involving children have risen by nearly 46% since 2020.
Earlier this week, Dubey underlined the seriousness of the issue, saying, “Pornographic content cannot be allowed in India. Child sexual abuse material is a heinous crime. AI-generated fake videos of women or obscene depiction of women are also heinous crimes…This is above political parties, religion, and caste because this country is extremely sensitive when it comes to children and women.”
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
