The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has summoned Meta's global head of public policy after the social media company briefly removed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post addressed to the youth.
According to sources, Meta's global head of public policy, which oversees Facebook and Instagram, has been asked to appear before the IT ministry to explain the incident.
Prime Minister Modi had posted a video message on July 23 following the student protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party. On Tuesday, users noticed that the post's visibility had been restricted in India, triggering a political uproar. Following the backlash, a Meta spokesperson said the content had been removed inadvertently and was later restored.
"The content was removed in error and has since been restored," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary panel has summoned representatives of major social media companies, including Meta, Google, X and Snapchat, along with officials from MeitY and the Ministry of Home Affairs, for a meeting on August 3 to discuss the regulation of social and digital platforms. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said the panel has asked the companies to explain how they protect users' privacy and contribute to maintaining public order.
The latest development comes amid heightened government scrutiny of social media platforms following the recent student protests at Jantar Mantar.
Earlier, Delhi Police asked major social media platforms to remove objectionable videos and posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were circulated during the protests. The move is part of a broader crackdown on online content that authorities believe amplified the unrest.
Platforms such as Meta-owned Instagram and Elon Musk-owned X have come under increased government scrutiny, with Instagram drawing particular attention for its alleged role in mobilising students from across the country to gather at Jantar Mantar.
During the agitation, the government also directed Microsoft-owned GitHub to remove Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based messaging application, citing concerns that it could be misused by anti-national elements, terrorists, organised crime groups and cybercriminals to evade lawful surveillance.
Even after the protests subsided, Delhi Police reportedly continued monitoring social media platforms. According to sources, notices are issued to platforms whenever objectionable content is detected, seeking appropriate action, including removal of the posts. The monitoring exercise remains ongoing.
Police have also identified around 450 social media accounts that allegedly shared deepfake and AI-generated content related to the protests, sources said.