MeitY seeks detailed explanation from Meta over PM’s Facebook post

MUMBAI: One vanished post has sparked a very public grilling. The Centre has sought a detailed technical explanation from Meta after the company’s brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post on the NEET paper leak, with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) calling the incident “serious” and “unacceptable”.

Speaking on the issue, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said Meta’s explanation that the post was removed because of a “technical glitch” did not sufficiently explain what had happened, adding that an apology alone was not enough.

“The removal of posts from a verified Facebook account is an extremely disturbing occurrence. It should have never happened,” Krishnan said.

Meta had briefly taken down the Prime Minister’s post on 28 July before restoring it shortly afterwards, attributing the incident to a technical error and issuing an apology.

However, the government is now seeking a comprehensive technical account of how the post was removed and the measures Meta plans to introduce to prevent similar incidents.

“I think the explanation that it was a technical ground and that there was a technical glitch does not appear to be an acceptable explanation in its entirety,” Krishnan said.

He added that MeitY will hold a detailed technical meeting with Meta to understand the sequence of events and seek assurances that verified accounts of prominent personalities receive stronger protection against erroneous content removals.

“We will have a very detailed technical meeting as to how these things happen. We will seek assurances that the handles of prominent personalities in India should be ringfenced, and once it’s a verified account, it should be ensured that content that is posted there is not removed on such flimsy grounds or on such mistakes which happen,” he said.

The development comes amid heightened government scrutiny of Meta’s content moderation systems. Earlier, officials had indicated that company representatives could be summoned to explain the removal of the Prime Minister’s post.

Krishnan also provided an update on WhatsApp’s proposed username feature, which has been under regulatory review. He said MeitY has received responses from WhatsApp and other digital platforms and is examining their submissions before deciding on the next course of action.

The latest episode underscores the government’s increasing focus on platform accountability and moderation practices. Beyond the immediate controversy, MeitY’s demand for technical safeguards signals that digital intermediaries may face greater scrutiny over how automated systems handle verified accounts and high-profile public communications.