Social media giant Meta on Monday officially apologised to the government after it briefly removed the video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from its platform. The issue pertains to the removal of PM Modi's video from Facebook.
The platform appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, which is headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Committee members also demanded legal action against the Meta officials responsible for the removal of the post. Several committee members are learnt to have said that the issue was not about an apology, but about fixing accountability.
Sources said members are also learnt to have sought details from Meta on the action the company has taken regarding controversial and objectionable content present on its platforms. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology began its meeting earlier today and is taking the views of social and digital media platforms on the subject, "Social and Digital platforms and their regulation". According to the agenda of the meeting, representatives of Snapchat, Google, X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram), and YouTube will brief the committee on the subject being examined by it. Home Secretary Govind Mohan is among the senior officials present during the meeting. The committee had held two meetings last month and deliberated on "Self Reliance in Telecom Manufacturing Sector".
It was also briefed by officials of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on "Review of functioning of Prasar Bharati Organization". Meta had said on July 28 that PM Modi's Facebook video on action against examination paper leaks was removed due to a technical error and was restored. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also summoned Meta over the brief taking down of PM Modi's video, with Secretary S Krishnan stating that the company's explanation of a "technical error" does not appear to be acceptable in its entirety.