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| Facebook under fire over removal of PM Modi’s video; Parliament seeks accountability | | |  Muskan Thakur
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 3: Social media giant Meta came under sharp scrutiny from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology on Monday over the removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi from its platform, with lawmakers asserting that an apology alone would not suffice unless accountability is fixed and legal action is taken against those responsible.
The issue was raised during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, which reviewed social media regulation and online platform accountability. Representatives of Meta, Google and YouTube, along with senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), attended the meeting.
According to sources familiar with the proceedings, Meta officials were questioned extensively over the deletion of a video in which Prime Minister Modi addressed young people and assured strict action against examination paper leaks.
Speaking after the meeting, Committee Chairman Nishikant Dubey said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg should apologise for the removal of the Prime Minister’s video.
During the discussions, a senior BJP MP reportedly sought an explanation from Meta over why the Prime Minister’s video was taken down, who authorised its removal, and who would be held responsible for the lapse. The MP also questioned why the platform removed the Prime Minister’s video while other objectionable content remained accessible.
Sources said Meta attributed the incident to a technical glitch and expressed regret over the episode. However, the BJP member maintained that the matter went beyond an apology, stressing that responsibility must be identified and legal action initiated against those accountable.
The lawmaker also questioned the level of protection available to ordinary social media users if the Prime Minister’s content could be removed in such a manner.
The meeting also focused on the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on social media platforms, with Meta facing questions over measures adopted to detect and remove such content.
The latest development comes days after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology reportedly summoned Meta’s global team to explain issues relating to alleged algorithmic bias, the functioning of its recommendation systems and their impact on public order. While Meta described the removal of the Prime Minister’s video as a technical error, government sources said the Ministry found the explanation inadequate.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered cases against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and certain Facebook and Instagram accounts over allegedly morphed and AI-generated posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. |
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