DistantNews
Support us
🇸🇬 Singapore /Technology

Indian Panel Demands Meta CEO Apology Over PM Modi Video Takedown

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • An Indian parliamentary panel demanded an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being temporarily removed.
  • The video was briefly taken down from Facebook and Instagram on July 23 but was later restored, with Meta citing a technical error.
  • The panel threatened to revoke Meta's safe harbor protections if Zuckerberg does not apologize within three days.

An Indian parliamentary panel has demanded that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issue an apology within three days for the temporary removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video, posted on July 23, was briefly taken down from Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram while Modi was addressing students during youth-led protests. Meta attributed the removal to a technical error, but the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, led by Nishikant Dubey, rejected this explanation.

Deleting the prime minister’s video was not the work of an intermediary, but that of a publisher.

— Nishikant DubeyThe lawmaker heading the parliamentary committee blamed Meta for the video's temporary removal, rejecting the company's explanation of a technical error.

Dubey, a lawmaker from Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, stated that the deletion was the act of a "publisher," not an "intermediary," implying a deliberate editorial decision rather than a technical glitch. India, being Meta's largest market with hundreds of millions of users across its platforms, holds significant importance for the company. The panel's demand underscores the sensitivity surrounding the Prime Minister's online presence and the government's scrutiny of social media platforms operating within the country.

Zuckerberg will have to apologise within three days.

— Nishikant DubeyDubey stated the ultimatum given to Meta's CEO regarding the incident.

While parliamentary standing committees can summon officials and scrutinize policies, they lack the authority to impose penalties or revoke legal protections directly. Any punitive action against online platforms would need to be pursued by the government or the courts under existing laws. Nevertheless, Dubey indicated that if Zuckerberg fails to apologize, the committee would advocate for the termination of safe harbor protections afforded to Meta's social media platforms in India. Meta officials have reportedly been summoned to explain the incident, though the company had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

If he does not apologise, then all the safe harbour protections that have been provided to his social media platforms should end.

— Nishikant DubeyThe committee chairman threatened consequences for Meta if its CEO fails to comply with the demand for an apology.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog