World update: Indian parliamentary panel called Wednesday Meta chief Mark

An Indian parliamentary committee has escalated pressure on Meta after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly removed from Facebook and Instagram before being restored. The episode has drawn fresh scrutiny in India, where Meta has hundreds of millions of users across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and operates in its largest market by audience size.

The dispute centers on a vertical video of Modi addressing students during youth-led protests on July 23. According to the feed information, the clip was temporarily taken down from Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, then later restored. Meta has said the removal happened because of a technical error.

A parliamentary panel on communications and information technology, headed by lawmaker Nishikant Dubey, said Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg should apologise over the incident. Dubey, who is a member of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said the committee considered the removal to be the action of a publisher rather than an intermediary. He also said Zuckerberg would have to apologise within three days.

The panel’s criticism comes as India continues to examine the power and responsibilities of major online platforms. Parliamentary standing committees can question government officials and company executives and review policy issues, but they do not have authority to impose penalties or revoke legal protections on their own. Any punitive action would have to come from the government or the courts under existing law.

Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, said he met India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday and apologised on behalf of the company for the error that restricted Modi’s post. In a statement, Kaplan said he had apologised to the minister for the mistake.

Dubey said the committee had written to the interior and technology ministries seeking action. He also warned that if there is no apology, the safe harbour protections available to social media platforms should end. That position reflects growing political sensitivity around platform moderation decisions in one of the world’s most closely watched digital markets.

The matter remains significant because it involves a major global tech company, India’s governing institutions and the online visibility of the country’s prime minister. For now, the verified facts show a temporary removal, a restoration, an apology from Meta’s global affairs chief and a parliamentary demand for accountability.

FAQ

Why is the Meta Modi video removal drawing attention?

It involves a temporary takedown of a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a strong response from an Indian parliamentary panel.

Did Meta say why the video was removed?

Meta has said the removal was caused by a technical error.

Can the parliamentary committee punish Meta itself?

No. The committee can scrutinize and question, but any legal action would need to come from the government or the courts.