The Indian government has summoned Meta's global head of public policy following the brief removal of a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook. The video, uploaded on July 23, addressed the nation's youth amid ongoing protests over examination paper leaks. In the video, Modi assured students that the government would take stronger action against examination malpractices, including introducing stricter legal provisions to curb paper leaks.
On July 28, users in India found the video inaccessible on Facebook, with a notice stating that the content was "not available in your region due to a legal request." The same video remained accessible on Instagram and to Facebook users outside India. Meta attributed the removal to a technical error and restored the video shortly thereafter.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) took the incident seriously and summoned Meta's global head of public policy for an explanation. Government sources indicated that Meta's explanation was "not reasonable," and the issue was "far from settled," suggesting further discussions are necessary.
This incident has raised questions about Meta's content moderation practices, especially concerning political figures and sensitive national issues. The government's response underscores the importance of transparent and accountable content moderation on global platforms operating within India.
As the situation develops, stakeholders are closely monitoring the dialogue between the Indian government and Meta to ensure that such incidents do not recur and that content moderation aligns with local laws and sensitivities.