Meta expresses regret over PM Modi video removal, offers apology before parliamentary panel: Sources

Meta officials expressed regret and said they were willing to issue an apology over the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook, sources told India Today on Monday.

This came after a senior BJP MP questioned Meta officials during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Electronics & IT.

During the committee meeting, the BJP MP sought accountability from the tech company, asking who authorised the removal of the Prime Minister's video and who should bear responsibility for the decision.

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BJP MPs SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY

According to sources, the BJP MP asked Meta officials why Prime Minister Modi's video was taken down, who was responsible for its removal, and why the platform acted against the Prime Minister's content while leaving several other objectionable posts online.

The MP also sought to know who made the decision to remove the video and who bears the ultimate responsibility for it.

Sources said Meta officials expressed regret over the incident and indicated that the company was willing to issue an apology.

However, the BJP MP responded that the issue was not merely about an apology. He said the committee was seeking accountability, and those responsible should be identified and face appropriate legal action.

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VIDEO WAS BRIEFLY RESTRICTED

During a student protest at Jantar Mantar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post addressing India's youth and promising stringent measures against paper leaks was briefly restricted by Facebook.

The video, originally posted on Instagram on July 23 and later shared on Facebook, marked the Prime Minister's first direct selfie video aimed at engaging with young people amid student protests over alleged paper leaks.

Last Tuesday, the government summoned a senior Meta executive.

Meta later told the government that the post had been removed because of a glitch in its automated content filters and apologised for the incident. The tech giant said the content was removed "in error" and was subsequently restored.

GOVERNMENT UNSATISFIED WITH EXPLANATION

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, however, said Meta's explanation was insufficient.

IT Secretary S Krishnan said the company had admitted its mistake and apologised, but the government was not satisfied with its response. "It is good that they have apologised and admitted what they did was a mistake. But we are not happy with the explanation…it is not adequate, and we are seeking more details."

Meta has also reportedly offered to ringfence high-profile accounts to prevent similar incidents in the future.

(With inputs from PTI)