Meta urged by Indian parliament to apologize for blocking Modi video

An Indian parliamentary committee chaired by Nishikant Dubey has demanded that Meta Platforms chief executive Mark Zuckerberg issue an unconditional apology within three days for the temporary restriction of a Facebook video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video, addressed to students involved in nationwide protests over exam paper leaks, was blocked in July and later restored after Meta said it resulted from an operational error.

The committee warned it would recommend that India withdraw Meta's safe‑harbor protections, which shield online intermediaries from liability for user‑generated content. Removal of this legal shield could expose Meta to a flood of lawsuits and jeopardise its operations in India, its largest market with hundreds of millions of users. Meta’s global affairs officer Joel Kaplan met with IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and apologized on behalf of the company. The dispute follows recent Indian summons of Meta executives over child sexual‑abuse material and other platform‑safety concerns.