Meta apologises over Modi video removal in India

Meta apologised to India's information and broadcasting minister after Facebook and Instagram temporarily removed a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as an Indian parliamentary panel called for Mark Zuckerberg to apologise within three days.

Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, said he met Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday and apologised on Meta's behalf for the error restricting Modi's post.

The video, posted on July 23 during youth-led protests, was briefly removed from Facebook and Instagram and later restored. Meta has said the removal was caused by a technical error.

Nishikant Dubey, a lawmaker from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party who heads the parliamentary committee on communications and information technology, said the panel blamed Meta. He said the committee had written to India's interior and technology ministries demanding action.

Dubey said Zuckerberg would have to apologise within three days and said safe harbour protections for Meta's social media platforms should end if he did not.

Parliamentary standing committees in India can scrutinise government policy and summon officials and company executives, but they cannot themselves impose penalties, revoke legal protections or direct prosecutions. Any action against an online platform would have to be taken by the government or courts under existing law.