India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has issued a three‑day deadline to Meta, warning that the company could face serious action, including a review of its safe‑harbour protection, after a Facebook video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily removed from the platform.
The video was unavailable for roughly five hours, prompting sharp questioning of Meta representatives. Meta said the removal was caused by a technical glitch, but both the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and committee members rejected the explanation as inadequate.
Committee chairman Nishikant Dubey said Meta must demonstrate accountability, stressing that a simple apology would not suffice unless the company clearly identifies who was responsible for the lapse. He also demanded a personal apology from Mark Zuckerberg, arguing that the incident raises concerns about algorithmic bias, content moderation standards, and whether political content involving senior leaders is being treated differently from other posts.
Members of the panel asked Meta why the Prime Minister’s video was removed while other objectionable content remained online, and pressed the company on safeguards for ordinary users. Meta representatives expressed regret but offered limited clarity on the internal processes that led to the takedown.
The committee has directed Meta to take corrective action within three days. Failure to comply could trigger a review of Meta’s protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, which shields intermediaries from liability for third‑party content as long as they meet due‑diligence requirements.