Meta Officially Apologizes for Removing PM Modi’s Post

Meta has officially apologized to the Indian government after it briefly restricted a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July. On August 5, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, met Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi and offered a formal apology on behalf of the company.

The disputed post featured Prime Minister Modi’s message on the government’s crackdown on examination paper leaks. In addition, Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg expressed regret during discussions with Indian officials over broader platform issues, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), AI-generated deepfakes, and other operational lapses. The apology comes as New Delhi has intensified its scrutiny of the company over content moderation, platform accountability, and compliance with India’s digital laws.

Five-Hour Blackout On Modi’s Video Sparked Government Anger

The controversy began after Facebook temporarily restricted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message on the government’s action against examination paper leaks. The post, published on July 23, became unavailable for nearly five hours before Meta restored it and described the incident as an operational error in its automated moderation system. However, the temporary removal triggered strong criticism from the Indian government, which questioned how a verified post from the country’s Prime Minister could have been blocked. As a result, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) summoned Meta executives and sought a detailed explanation. Separately, Hyderabad police registered a case against Meta India head Arun Srinivas.

The incident has also reignited a broader debate over the reliability of AI-driven content moderation. critics questioned why misinformation, manipulated media, and other harmful content often remain available for longer periods. The episode has intensified calls for greater transparency, stronger safeguards, and more accountable content moderation across major social media platforms.

India Demands Accountability as Meta Faces Fresh Regulatory Scrutiny

Meta’s apology has come as Indian authorities expand their review of the company’s content moderation practices beyond the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post. During meetings with government officials, Meta outlined its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM), AI-generated deepfakes, and other content moderation challenges. In addition, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology asked the company to apologize over the removal of the Prime Minister’s video and questioning Meta’s Safe Harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. Under Section 79, Safe Harbour provides limited legal immunity to intermediaries such as Meta, Google, and X for user-generated content, provided they comply with Indian laws and applicable IT Rules.

The developments highlight India’s growing focus on digital accountability and reinforce expectations that global technology companies must ensure stronger compliance, greater transparency, and more reliable content moderation while operating in India, one of their largest global markets.

Web Resources on Meta Apologizes for Removing PM Modi’s Post

1. Reuters.com : Meta apologises to India for restricting PM Modi’s post.
2. The Hindu.com : Parliamentary IT committee to Meta, Apologise for PM video removal or lose safe harbour
3. Times of India : Meta official on PM Modi post removal; Zuckerberg sorry for deepfakes