India's parliamentary IT panel has given Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg three days [1] to apologize for the brief removal of a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The demand places Meta's legal standing in India at risk. If the company fails to comply, it could lose its safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act [2], which generally shields platforms from liability for third-party content.
The dispute began after a video of Prime Minister Modi was briefly removed from Facebook. Meta said the incident was due to an AI glitch, but the Indian government rejected this explanation and demanded accountability [1], [3].
Nishikant Dubey, the chair of the parliamentary IT panel and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led the effort to secure an apology from Zuckerberg [3], [4]. The panel said the removal of the content was unacceptable and that the company must take responsibility for the error [4].
Safe-harbour provisions are critical for social media companies operating in India. Without the protections afforded by Section 79 [2], Meta could be held legally responsible for every piece of content posted by its users on the platform, potentially leading to a surge in litigation, and regulatory hurdles.
The panel's ultimatum underscores the increasing tension between the Indian government and global tech firms over content moderation and digital sovereignty. The government has consistently pushed for more stringent control over how platforms manage political content, and the speed at which they respond to state directives [1], [4].
“Meta could lose its safe-harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act.”
This confrontation highlights the precarious legal position of global tech platforms in India. By threatening the safe-harbour status under the IT Act, the Indian government is signaling that technical errors—such as AI glitches—will not be accepted as excuses when high-profile political figures are affected. This move could set a precedent for stricter liability for platforms, potentially forcing them to prioritize government-aligned content moderation to avoid severe legal penalties.
