Parliamentary panel demands personal apology from Meta CEO over PM's video removal
A parliamentary committee on Monday rejected Meta's apology for the temporary removal of a video post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a personal apology from the company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The committee also warned that it could recommend withdrawing the social media platform's "safe harbour" protection if Mr. Zuckerberg fails to comply.
The chairperson of the Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Nishikant Dubey, said the removal of the Prime Minister's video was either a serious failure of the platform's systems or a deliberate attempt to tarnish the Prime Minister's image. "If this is how they deal with the official post of the Prime Minister, what can the common people of India expect? This failure cannot be dismissed merely as a technical error. It is a serious matter and an apology must come from Zuckerberg's side. And if he does not apologise, safe harbour protection should be taken back from them," Mr. Dubey said.
Safe harbour protection refers to a legal provision under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, which grants intermediaries like social media platforms immunity from liability for content posted by third parties, provided they follow due diligence. Removing this protection would mean platforms can be held legally accountable for content on their sites.
The panel's meeting was attended by senior representatives from Meta, X, Google and YouTube. Also present were Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and IT Secretary S. Krishnan.
During the meeting, parliamentarians questioned digital platforms about their algorithms and the presence of unlawful content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake investment scams and content targeting women. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, came under particular scrutiny.
Some Opposition members emphasised that social media must retain space for dissent and that anti-government content should not be considered anti-national. However, the committee was unanimous in demanding stricter and timely action against content that violates the platforms' own stated policies, especially involving CSAM, cyber fraud and harassment of women.
Mr. Dubey said the committee was "unanimous and non-partisan" on all issues. He also said that even communications from the Ministry of Home Affairs are ignored by these platforms.
Referring to a recent protest, Mr. Dubey pointed out that its online viewership stood at 27 million, which he said was more than the combined viewership of political parties such as the BJP, Congress, AAP and SP. He blamed the platforms' choice of algorithms for favouring new entrants.
Some MPs demanded that Meta fix accountability for the removal of the Prime Minister's video, which was later restored by the company.
Mr. Dubey raised the question of whether platforms are mere intermediaries or act as publishers, given their ability to amplify or suppress content, remove it or attach community notes that may carry abusive language.
He also cited cybercrime statistics, saying, "It is disturbing that in 2025 alone approximately 28.15 lakh cybercrime complaints were reported nationally, with estimated losses of nearly Rs 22,495 crore."
