Meta has apologised for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video, with the company's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, describing the incident as an error.
"I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi's post," Kaplan said.
The apology followed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology's demand on Wednesday that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologise over the removal of the Prime Minister's speech from Facebook.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), a Lok Sabha Secretariat official stated that Zuckerberg's legal protections and immunity could be withdrawn if he failed to apologise within three days.
"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 was viewed very seriously by the Committee," the letter, signed by A Jyothirmayi, said.
The parliamentary panel also urged the government to take action against Google India over allegations that investors lost more than Rs 48 lakh through fraudulent investment apps.
Referring to Hyderabad Cyber Police naming the Google India head as a co-accused alongside cyber fraudsters, the committee said the government should consider taking similar action against the company.
Separately, government sources said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised during discussions with the Centre for the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), deepfake content, and shortcomings in the operation of the company's platforms.
According to the sources, government officials strongly questioned Meta executives during the meeting and emphasised that the company has a responsibility to protect children. They also stated that platforms cannot generate advertising revenue from child abuse content while simultaneously seeking safe harbour protection.
Sources added that although platform accountability and content moderation were discussed, the removal of Prime Minister Modi's video did not come up during those consultations.
The apology related to CSAM and platform operations was made during a two-day meeting between MeitY officials and Meta's global leadership, focusing on platform accountability, content moderation, and compliance with Indian laws.
Meta acknowledges content moderation errors
During the discussions, Meta admitted lapses in its content moderation practices and expressed regret over how harmful content had been handled on its platforms. Company officials have been asked to attend another meeting on Thursday.
Government officials also argued that Meta may not qualify for the legal protections available to intermediaries under the Information Technology Act because its algorithms actively determine which content is promoted and shown to users.
Section 79 of the Information Technology Act grants safe harbour protection to intermediaries, shielding them from liability for third-party content, provided they remove unlawful material when directed by courts or authorised government agencies.
However, officials maintained that Meta does not fit the definition of an intermediary, as its algorithms decide the distribution of content rather than acting as a neutral platform.
"It was made clear to them that they are not covered under the definition of an intermediary. They select who receives the content. Therefore, the safe harbour protection under the IT Act is not applicable," sources said.
The discussions also touched on Meta's business practices. According to sources, the company acknowledged spending substantial amounts to promote certain categories of content and expressed regret over those decisions.
