A parliamentary standing committee has sought an apology from Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg over the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook, saying the action was viewed seriously.
In a letter to the secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Lok Sabha secretariat said legal protection and immunity available to Zuckerberg could be withdrawn if an apology was not issued within three days.
The committee objected to Facebook removing PM Modi’s video addressing students and Gen Z on examination controversies and strict action against paper leaks. The video was unavailable on the platform for around five to six hours before being restored.
“The removal of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's video addressing students and Gen Z regarding examination controversies and strict actions against paper leaks from Facebook for 5-6 hours [is] viewed very seriously by the Committee,” the letter signed by A Jyothirmayi, director at the Lok Sabha secretariat, said.
The panel also sought action by the government against Google India in connection with alleged cyber fraud cases, after discussing a matter where investors claimed losses of more than Rs 48 lakh through fraudulent applications.
“The Committee while discussing Hyderabad Cyber Police Action against the Google India Head as a co-accused along with the cyber fraudsters after the complainants alleged that they lost more than Rs 48 lakhs by investing through fraud Apps, desired that similar action be taken against Google India by the Government of India,” the letter said.
The committee’s directions come amid increased scrutiny of social media platforms over content moderation decisions and accountability of technology companies operating in India.
(With inputs from PTI)