Meta apologises after PM Modi video takedown as India warns over safe harbour

New Delhi: A fresh row over content moderation has put Meta under intense pressure in India after the company apologised for restricting a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and acknowledged shortcomings in tackling harmful content on its platforms.

According to government officials, Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg conveyed an apology through the company’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, following the removal of a video in which Modi addressed student protesters.

Kaplan said he apologised to electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on behalf of Meta for the error that restricted the Prime Minister’s post, attributing the incident to a technical glitch.

The apology came after a parliamentary standing committee, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, reportedly gave Zuckerberg a three-day deadline to apologise or risk losing the safe harbour protections that shield online intermediaries from liability for user-generated content.

Government officials also claimed that Meta admitted during discussions that it had accepted payments to boost certain categories of content and acknowledged that paid promotion had resulted in illegal content being amplified to specific audiences. Officials said the company expressed regret over the lapses and promised corrective measures.

According to officials, the government warned Meta that it could lose its intermediary protection if it actively determined the distribution of content through algorithmic amplification or paid promotion. Authorities argued that such actions could place the platform outside the legal definition of an intermediary, exposing it to regulatory action and private lawsuits.

Officials further said the government sought details of Meta’s safeguards against child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfakes and other harmful content. They claimed the company admitted shortcomings in its systems and accepted that illegal material had been promoted on the platform.

The discussions took place amid growing criticism within the government and the ruling BJP over allegations that Facebook’s algorithms amplified content relating to paper leak protests and promoted abusive posts targeting the Prime Minister.

Government officials said Meta representatives will be called for further discussions, although the scope and timing of the next meeting have not been disclosed.

Separately, the government said it is reviewing international regulatory models on children’s online safety as part of a wider examination of India’s digital policy framework. The review is expected to assess whether additional legal safeguards are needed as social media platforms face increasing scrutiny over the spread of illegal and harmful online content.