Centre summons Meta after PM Modi video takedown on Facebook

MUMBAI: One missing video has turned into a very public question mark for Meta. The social media giant is set to appear before the Centre after the government sought detailed explanations over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video, escalating scrutiny of the platform’s content moderation systems and safeguards for high-profile accounts.

According to ANI, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked Meta to depute its senior-most representatives to explain both the policy and technical issues surrounding the incident.

Speaking to ANI on Thursday, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said the government wants to understand what led to the removal of the Prime Minister’s video and what changes Meta intends to implement to prevent similar incidents in future.

Krishnan said Meta has written to the government expressing regret over the incident and has shared its assessment of why the error occurred. According to him, the company has also informed the Centre that it introduced new protocols for prominent accounts on 28 July to reduce the likelihood of similar mistakes.

The meeting between Meta and government officials is expected to take place within the next seven to 10 days, during which the company will be asked to clarify both its internal processes and its technical safeguards.

The MeitY Secretary also said the government is examining broader issues related to messaging and social media platforms. As part of that exercise, it has sought responses from multiple messaging services. Responding to a question on WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, Krishnan said the Centre has received submissions from several platforms and is currently reviewing them.

The controversy stems from the temporary removal of Prime Minister Modi’s Facebook video on action against examination paper leaks. The video, originally posted on 23 July, became briefly inaccessible during the early hours of 28 July before being restored.

Meta had earlier attributed the incident to a technical error, stating that the content had been removed mistakenly.

“The content was removed in error and has since been restored,” a Meta spokesperson had said after the video was reinstated.

The episode has once again placed the spotlight on the responsibilities of large digital platforms operating in India. Beyond fixing a single technical glitch, the government’s intervention signals a broader expectation that social media companies strengthen safeguards for high-profile accounts while ensuring greater transparency around their content moderation systems.