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Parliament panel gives Zuckerberg 3-day ultimatum over Modi video removal
In India, government leaders called members of Parliament check that companies like Facebook follow the rules.
India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made a video to talk to students.
The students were upset because answers to their big exams may have been leaked.
One night, the video suddenly disappeared from Facebook for a few hours.
Facebook later said the video was removed by mistake because of a technical problem.
The government leaders, led by Nishikant Dubey, did not believe that explanation.
They told Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook, that he must say sorry within three days.
They also wanted Facebook to punish the people responsible for removing the video.
They warned that if he did not apologise, Facebook could lose a special protection in India.
That protection normally stops websites from being punished for things other people post on them.
India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology demanded an 'unqualified apology' from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg within three days over Facebook's removal of a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The committee warned that failure to apologise could lead to withdrawal of Meta's safe-harbour immunity under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, with Zuckerberg treated as a publisher and facing a 'flood' of FIRs.
The video, released July 23, showed PM Modi addressing students and Gen Z on exam paper leaks; it was unavailable for about 4.5 hours (12:30 am–5:00 am) per Meta, while the committee reported 5–6 hours, and reports differed on the removal date, with Meta confirming removal and restoration on July 28.
Meta said the video was 'removed in error' due to a technical glitch, an explanation that MeitY Secretary S Krishnan called 'not acceptable in its entirety' and the ministry deemed 'inadequate.'
Committee chairperson Nishikant Dubey called the removal an 'attack on democracy' and said it was not the first such incident involving Meta India; a Meta team led by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met IT ministry officials on Wednesday for talks covering Indian law compliance, child sexual abuse material, AI-generated content and verified accounts.
- Who
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology chaired by Nishikant Dubey, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); Meta operates Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.
- What
- The committee demanded an unqualified apology from Zuckerberg within three days over Facebook's temporary removal of PM Modi's video, warning that Meta could lose its safe-harbour protection under Section 79(3) of the IT Act and that Zuckerberg could face action as a publisher.
- Where
- India, involving the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Home Affairs and MeitY, along with digital platforms including Meta, Google, X, Snapchat and YouTube.
- When
- The committee's demand was reported on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, following its August 3, 2026 meeting; the video went missing in the early hours (12:30 am–5:00 am) in late July, with one report dating the removal to July 28, when Meta confirmed the removal and restoration.
- Why
- The committee viewed the removal of the Prime Minister's video as a very serious matter, called it an 'attack on democracy,' said it was not the first such incident involving Meta India, and deemed Meta's technical-glitch explanation inadequate.
Parliamentary Committee and Government
Meta and Facebook
Cause of the video removal
Parliamentary Committee and Government
Committee chairperson Nishikant Dubey called the removal 'a very serious matter' and an 'attack on democracy,' said it was not the first time Meta India had removed such content, and argued the action went beyond an intermediary's role to that of a publisher. He suggested Zuckerberg's intention is to destabilise the country.
Meta and Facebook
Meta said the video was 'removed in error' due to a technical glitch and restored it, confirming the removal and restoration on July 28.
Adequacy of the explanation and legal consequences
Parliamentary Committee and Government
MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said the technical-glitch explanation was 'not acceptable in its entirety,' and the ministry called it 'inadequate.' The committee demanded an unqualified apology within three days, warning that Section 79(3) safe-harbour protection could be withdrawn, Zuckerberg treated as a publisher, and a 'flood' of FIRs filed against him.
Meta and Facebook
Meta acknowledged the removal, attributed it to an internal technical error and restored the content; the articles record no further public rebuttal from Meta beyond this explanation.
Key facts
- Deadline for apology
- 3 days from receipt of the committee's letter
- Legal protection at risk
- Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act (safe harbour)
- Video in question
- PM Modi's address to students and Gen Z on exam paper leaks, released July 23
- Duration of removal
- About 4.5 hours (12:30 am–5:00 am); the committee reported 5–6 hours
- Meta's explanation
- "Removed in error" due to a technical glitch; removal and restoration confirmed on July 28
- Committee chairperson
- Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Godda
- MeitY's response
- Called the explanation "inadequate"; Secretary S Krishnan said it was "not acceptable in its entirety"
- Key meeting
- August 3, 2026, with the Ministry of Home Affairs, MeitY and platforms including Meta, Google, X, Snapchat and YouTube
Quotes
Parliamentary Committee of Communications and Information Technology
The committee that issued the ultimatum to Mark Zuckerberg
“"Meta India removed the Prime Minister's content. This is not the first time Meta India has done this. If you recall, Zuckerberg himself made a statement in January regarding the 2024 elections and later apologised. This shows that his intention is to destabilise the country."”
livemint.com
“"When a video of the Prime Minister of India can be removed, and they themselves admitted that the content was missing for five hours, from 12:30 am to 5:00 am, this is a very serious matter"”
livemint.com
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
CEO of Meta Platforms
“If Facebook does not take action against those responsible in this matter, the Safe Harbour Clause will be removed. Mark Zuckerberg will have to apologise. Otherwise, a case may be filed.”
NDTV
“"removed in error" due to a technical glitch”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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