Apologise or face action: House panel's 3-day ultimatum to Mark Zuckerberg on PM video row

Calling the removal of PM Modi's video an "attack on democracy", a parliamentary panel has given Mark Zuckerberg three days to apologise or risk action against Facebook.

In Short

• Govt says failure to comply could cost Facebook its safe harbour protection
• Panel calls video removal an 'attack on democracy' targeting 1.4 billion Indians
• Meta downplays removal as a 'technical glitch', Centre rejects explanation

The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has given Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg three days to apologise over the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's July 23 video from Facebook and take action against those responsible for the removal.

The panel, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, termed the removal of PM Modi's video an "attack on democracy", saying it targeted the representative of 1.4 billion Indians.

According to sources, the committee has warned that failure to comply within three days could prompt the government to consider revoking Facebook's safe harbour protection, potentially exposing the platform and its officials to direct legal action.

The loss of safe harbour protection could leave Facebook and its officials more exposed to legal liability, including criminal proceedings, over content on the platform.

The controversy stems from the brief removal of PM Modi's video on July 23, which was originally posted on Instagram before being shared on Facebook.

The selfie-style video, PM Modi’s first direct address in that format, promised stringent action against paper leaks amid student protests led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Meta briefly restricted the Facebook version of the post before restoring it following widespread backlash.

Earlier this week, the panel summoned and questioned Meta officials over the incident. The company apologised and attributed the removal to a "technical glitch".

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, however, rejected the explanation as "not reasonable", saying that if the incident was indeed caused by a technical error, Meta, as a technology company, should strengthen its systems to prevent such lapses.

The brief disappearance of the video was quickly noticed by BJP leaders and online commentators, who flagged the issue with Meta and demanded answers.

Separately, the panel has asked major digital platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat, to remove Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) and objectionable content targeting women within three days. It warned that failure to comply could invite strict action.

Meanwhile, Telangana Police have registered cases against Google and Meta over separate allegations. Google has been accused of hosting fraudulent financial applications, while Meta has been booked over the circulation of a fake video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

- Ends