India Gives Zuckerberg Three Days to Apologise Over Modi Video Removal, Warns of Legal Exposure
India has given Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg three days to apologise after Facebook briefly removed a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a move that
India has given Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg three days to apologise after Facebook briefly removed a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a move that could strip the company of legal protection under Indian law. The warning lands at a tense moment for one of the world’s biggest social media groups, already under pressure over content moderation and child sexual abuse material on its platforms.
Officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology met Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan and Vice-President and Head of Global Policy Kevin Martin, and told them the company could lose “safe harbour” protection under Section 79(3) of India’s Information Technology Act if it does not comply. The government also directed Meta to remove objectionable content and follow Indian law. Three days. That was the message.
Video removal triggers political backlash
The dispute centres on a video in which Modi spoke about exam reforms and related controversy. Meta has said the removal was the result of a technical glitch, and its executives later conveyed an apology over the incident, according to the sources cited. But Indian officials and a parliamentary standing committee did not accept that explanation as sufficient.
The Lok Sabha secretariat told the government that if Zuckerberg does not apologise, protection for Meta platforms under the IT Act may be withdrawn. The standing committee on communications and information technology had already asked the government to consider ending that cover if there was no unconditional apology. The panel viewed the removal as a serious matter. Very serious.
What safe harbour means for Meta
Safe harbour protection under Indian law shields online platforms from some liability for user content, as long as they meet legal obligations. Losing that protection would expose the company, and potentially its executives, to action in India, including the possibility of FIRs, according to lawmakers quoted in the reports.
That is why the threat matters. Not just for one video, but for how India intends to police platform conduct. The Modi government has repeatedly pressed Big Tech firms on what they host, how they moderate, and how fast they respond when officials say a line has been crossed.
Broader pressure on social platforms
The meeting with Meta also covered the presence of child sexual abuse material on the platform, with the government ordering the company to clear objectionable content and comply with Indian law. Meta executives reportedly delivered an apology from Zuckerberg on that issue as well.
The parliamentary panel has also pushed for government action against Google India in a separate case involving alleged financial fraud and investor losses. For global tech companies, the message from New Delhi is becoming harder to miss. The rules are local. The penalty can be personal.
“Mark Zuckerberg must apologise within three days,” BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey, who heads the standing committee on information technology, was quoted as saying. “If he does not apologise, we will withdraw the safe harbour protection.”