Meta has formally apologised to the Indian government after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was mistakenly removed from the platform. The apology was conveyed by Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, during meetings with senior government officials in New Delhi, where he acknowledged that the removal was an operational error and assured authorities that steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meta Officials Meet Government Representatives
Joel Kaplan met with S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident. He later met Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and personally apologised on behalf of the company. Meta said it is reviewing its internal processes to reduce the likelihood of such errors in the future.
Parliamentary Panel Sought an Unconditional Apology
The controversy intensified after a Parliamentary Standing Committee reportedly asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to issue an unconditional apology within three days. The committee described the temporary removal of the Prime Minister's post as a serious matter and called for accountability from the company.
According to reports, Zuckerberg later conveyed his regret to the Indian government over the incident, alongside apologies for other operational issues affecting Meta's platforms, including concerns related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake content.
Government Stresses Accountability
The central government reiterated that large digital platforms operating in India must be accountable for their content moderation practices. Officials emphasised that companies serving millions of Indian users are expected to maintain reliable systems and cannot allow arbitrary moderation decisions that affect important public communications.
What Triggered the Controversy?
The issue began when a Facebook video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to students and Generation Z was temporarily removed from the platform. In the video, the Prime Minister discussed the government's efforts to tackle examination-related controversies and paper leaks.
The content reportedly remained unavailable for around five to six hours before being restored. Meta initially attributed the removal to an error, stating that the content had been mistakenly taken down and was restored once the issue was identified.
Meta Says Corrective Measures Are Underway
With the apology now issued, Meta has assured the government that it is strengthening its internal systems to minimise similar mistakes in the future. The incident has once again highlighted the growing scrutiny of global social media companies in India and the increasing focus on transparency and accountability in content moderation.
