Tech-giant Meta has reportedly been given a 72-hour deadline by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication and Information Technology to explain the removal of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s video, which had been taken down for a brief period. The panel has warned that a failure to respond to the issue satisfactorily could lead to a review of the company’s safe harbour protection. 

The committee has also directed all major social media platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat, to remove content related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within three days of identification. Sources familiar with the development said that non-compliance could invite a review of the platforms’ safe harbour protections under the applicable legal framework. 

Meta offers to apologise before Parliamentary panel

As per sources, Meta informed the Parliamentary committee during a meeting on Monday that it was prepared to apologise for the temporary restrictions placed on the PM’s video. 

Several members of the panel reportedly demanded that accountability be fixed for the incident and called for legal action against the ones responsible. The committee is understood to have insisted that the company issue a formal apology while identifying those accountable for the erroneous removal. 

Members of the panel also raised questions on Meta’s compliance with Indian laws, pointing out that although the company makes a big buck from the Indian market, it must adhere to the country’s legal and regulatory requirements. 

Panel seeks accountability for brief removal of PM Modi’s video

During the meeting, the committee’s members reportedly sought an explanation from Meta representatives regarding the removal of PM Modi’s video while other objectionable content was being propagated via the platform. 

According to sources, one member asked who had authorised the removal of PM Modi’s video and who ultimately bore responsibility for the action.

The questioning comes after the Union Government’s decision to summon Meta’s senior executives after a Facebook post featuring PM Modi’s address to the nation’s youth, in which he pledged strict action against exam paper leaks, was restricted for a brief period on the platform.

Centre finds Meta’s explanation ‘inadequate’

Earlier, Meta had attributed the action to a technical glitch, saying that the content had been taken down inadvertently before being restored. The company even apologised for the error.

However, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) reportedly discovered that the explanation was ‘inadequate,’ triggering further scrutiny by the parliamentary panel.