The latest development adds to the Centre’s growing scrutiny of Meta’s content moderation and algorithmic practices
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has issued a three-day ultimatum to Meta, warning the tech giant that it could face the loss of its safe harbour protection if it fails to apologise over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s video from Facebook.
The committee has asked Meta to identify those responsible for the incident and issue an apology within the stipulated period, escalating the government’s scrutiny of the social media platform over its content moderation practices.
Safe harbour warning
The warning follows a meeting between Meta representatives and members of the parliamentary panel, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who has maintained that the temporary removal of the Prime Minister’s video was a serious lapse.
According to the committee, failure to provide a satisfactory explanation and apology could lead to a recommendation that Meta’s safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act be reviewed or withdrawn. Safe harbour shields intermediaries from liability for third-party content, provided they comply with legal obligations.
Meta under increasing scrutiny
The latest warning comes amid heightened scrutiny of Meta by both Parliament and the Centre.
In recent days, government officials have questioned the company’s handling of high-profile accounts, alleged algorithmic bias, moderation practices, and the presence of harmful content on its platforms. Meta’s global leadership has also been summoned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for discussions on these issues.
PM’s video was briefly removed
The controversy began after a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook was briefly taken down before being restored. Meta attributed the removal to a technical error and expressed regret over the incident.
However, members of the parliamentary panel have said the explanation was insufficient and insisted that accountability must be fixed. They have also demanded a personal apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the episode.
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