The Centre has found Meta’s explanation for the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post “not reasonable” and has sought further clarification from the company, according to sources cited
by PTI.
The controversy arose after a Facebook post by the Prime Minister, in which he addressed the country’s youth and promised stringent measures against paper leaks, was taken down briefly from the platform. The incident prompted the government to summon Meta’s global head of public policy for an explanation.
According to PTI sources, Meta informed the government that the post was removed due to a glitch in its automated content-filtering systems. However, government officials are not satisfied with the explanation.
“Meta’s explanation is not reasonable, and deeper discussions are needed,” sources said, adding that the matter is “not settled and done.”
Officials further indicated that if an automated filtering error was indeed responsible for the removal, Meta must strengthen its systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sources said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has summoned Meta’s global head of public policy over the issue and is seeking a detailed explanation regarding the circumstances that led to the removal of the Prime Minister’s post.
Also Read | ‘Technical Glitch’: Meta Apologises For Briefly Blocking PM Modi’s Facebook Video
What Was In The Deleted Post?
The video, uploaded on July 23 amid the student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), was aimed at addressing concerns over examination-related irregularities and paper leaks.
In the message, Prime Minister Modi announced that the government would introduce legislation containing stringent provisions against paper leaks and organised examination fraud. He also stated that the contours of the proposed law would be discussed at a Union Cabinet meeting the following day before being finalised.
The post was subsequently removed from Facebook, triggering concerns within the government and leading to demands for an explanation from Meta.
Meta Under Increased Regulatory Scrutiny
The latest controversy comes at a time when Meta and its platforms have been facing heightened regulatory scrutiny in India.
Earlier, the IT Ministry issued a notice to WhatsApp over its proposed username feature, raising concerns that it could facilitate online fraud, phishing attempts, impersonation and so-called digital arrest scams.
The government directed WhatsApp not to roll out the feature in India until consultations were completed and its concerns were adequately addressed. The company subsequently assured authorities that the feature would not be launched in the country until discussions with the government were concluded.
The dispute over the Prime Minister’s post is likely to add to ongoing conversations between the government and Meta regarding platform accountability, automated moderation systems and the handling of content related to public institutions and elected leaders.
