Meta Faces Parliamentary Heat: Panel Demands Zuckerberg Apology Over PM Post

Nishikant Dubey, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, demanded a personal apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday. The demand followed a three-hour meeting where lawmakers questioned Meta executives about the temporary removal of a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister's reel, which addressed India's youth regarding paper leaks, remained unavailable for five hours between 12:30 am and 5:00 am. While Meta representatives expressed regret and attributed the incident to a technical error, the panel refused to accept this explanation as sufficient.

The committee warned that Meta risks losing its 'safe harbour' protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act if accountability is not fixed. This provision currently shields social media platforms from legal liability for content posted by third parties. Nishikant Dubey argued that the failure to protect an official post from the head of government raises serious concerns about the safety of common citizens on the platform. Opposition members of the panel maintained a different view, suggesting that satire should not be confused with sedition, though the primary focus remained on the technical restriction of the Prime Minister's communication.

Meta must now provide a complete audit trail to the committee within 10 days, detailing the timeline from the initial reporting of the content to its eventual restoration. The panel also grilled the tech giant on algorithmic bias and the rising incidence of cybercrime affecting public safety. Members highlighted that pro-India pages often face unexplained restrictions while misinformation continues to spread. The committee is now considering a standardisation of monthly compliance reports to ensure intermediaries are held accountable for technical failures and fraudulent activities that impact mental health and financial security.