Meta Faces Parliamentary Committee's Ultimatum Over PM Modi's Video Removal

A parliamentary committee in India has issued a stern warning to Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding an apology for the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook. The committee has set a three-day deadline for the apology, threatening to revoke the platform's legal immunity if not complied with. This incident has raised serious concerns about the treatment of official communications on social media platforms. The committee also addressed broader issues regarding the regulation of digital platforms and the removal of harmful content. Meta has attributed the removal to a technical glitch, but the government has found this explanation insufficient. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between social media companies and governmental oversight.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 5, 2026, 14:05 IST

Meta's Controversial Video Removal Sparks Parliamentary Action

File image of PM Modi. (Photo: X)

New Delhi, Aug 5: A parliamentary standing committee has issued a three-day deadline for Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to apologize for the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook. Failure to comply may result in the withdrawal of legal immunity for the platform.

In a communication directed to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, a Lok Sabha secretariat director expressed serious concern over the removal of Modi's video, which addressed students and Gen Z about examination issues and measures against paper leaks. The video was taken down for approximately five to six hours.

"The Committee has demanded an apology from Mr. Zuckerberg regarding this matter. Should he not provide an unqualified apology within three days of receiving this letter, the immunity granted under Section 79(3) of the IT Act may be revoked, and he could face consequences as a publisher," stated the letter signed by A Jyothirmayi.

Additionally, the committee called for action against intermediary platforms that host child sexual abuse material (CASM) and derogatory content against women. The letter emphasized that if these platforms do not remove such material, they may face repercussions under Section 79(3) of the IT Act.

The panel also urged the Indian government to take action against the head of Google India due to investors losing over Rs 48 lakh through fraudulent applications.

This letter follows a recent meeting where the committee engaged with representatives from the Home Affairs and Electronics and IT ministries, as well as platforms like Snapchat, Google, X, Meta (including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram), and YouTube, discussing the regulation of social and digital platforms.

After the meeting, committee chairperson Nishikant Dubey remarked that this incident was not an isolated case, recalling that in 2024, Zuckerberg had made controversial remarks regarding parliamentary election results. He accused Meta of attempting to destabilize the country.

Dubey pointed out that social media platforms often disregard directives from the Home Affairs and IT ministries. He stressed that the temporary removal of the Prime Minister's official Facebook post was a significant issue, prompting the committee to seek clarification on the rationale behind this action.

"This could either indicate a severe system failure or a deliberate effort by Meta to undermine the Prime Minister's image. If this is how Meta treats the official posts of our Prime Minister, one can only imagine the treatment of ordinary citizens' posts. Such a failure cannot simply be brushed off as a technical error," he stated.

Meta, based in the US, has attributed the incident to a technical glitch and has issued an apology. However, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has deemed this explanation as "inadequate." The company clarified that the content was removed "in error" and has since been restored on the platform.