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Meta is facing fresh pressure in India after a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi was removed from one of its platforms. In that video, the Prime Minister of India reassured students that strict actions will be taken against the culprits connected to the paper leak. Following the brief removal of the video, a parliamentary panel has asked the company to apologize for the incident.
The Parliamentary Committee of Communications and Information Technology has issued a three-day ultimatum to Mark Zuckerberg to apologize to the prime minister, or else the Safe Harbour Clause will be removed. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who’s leading the panel, stated that the removal of the video is an ‘attack on democracy.’
The Safe Harbour clause prevents the Indian government from filing FIRs directly against social media platform officials. The removal will give the Centre a green signal.
Meta earlier apologized for the technical glitch that caused the removal of the video, but the IT ministry found the explanation not sufficient and unconvincing.
The video removal isn’t the only thing Meta is going through. Last month, the company faced regulatory scrutiny over the issue of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Reportedly, those videos run on paid advertisements on Instagram, and the government sent Meta a notice regarding this.
Reports and statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau stated that 1,238 cybercrime cases were registered against children in 2024. Among them, 1,099 were related specifically to the publishing or transmission of sexually explicit material involving children.
Also Read: Centre to Raise CSEAM, AI Content Concerns with Meta
Nishikant Dubey warned social media platforms, stating, “Pornographic content cannot be allowed in India. Child sexual abuse material is a heinous crime. AI-generated fake videos of women or obscene depiction of women are also heinous crimes.” He further added, “This is above political parties, religion, and caste because this country is extremely sensitive when it comes to children and women.”
So, the Indian government has warned social media platforms to either comply with the CSAM rules or face a case.
