ON JULY 23, 2026, a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing students was taken down from Facebook, but it was ultimately restored after a brief period. In the video, PM Modi addressed the students regarding action being taken in the alleged NEET paper leak matter. However, the removal of the video from Facebook invited immense backlash against Meta, leading the Centre to summon Meta's Global Public Policy Head, Joel Kaplan, on August 4, 2026. 

In a recent development in the PM video removal row, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded an apology from Meta CEO and American businessman Mark Zuckerberg.

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The committee has further issued a three-day ultimatum for the Meta CEO to apologize, failing which it has warned that Meta could lose its legal immunity in India. Meta had earlier issued an apology over the removal of the Prime Minister's video, stating that the removal was caused by a technical glitch. 

Meta Receives Warning from Parliamentary Panel Over PM Video Row

The parliamentary panel, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, termed the video's removal an "attack on democracy." He stated that the post addressed several students and Gen Z regarding the paper leak controversy amidst the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest, which concluded on July 25, 2026, with the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Dubey further stated that the Facebook video featuring PM Modi represented not only him but also the 1.4 billion people in India.

The video was allegedly unavailable on the platform for about 5–6 hours but was later restored. According to the sources quoted by News18, Dubey said, "If Facebook does not take action against those responsible in this matter, the Safe Harbour Clause will be removed. Mark Zuckerberg will have to apologise. Otherwise, a case may be filed."

As per media reports, the Safe Harbour Clause provides legal immunity to social media platform officials, and its removal gives the Central Government the green light to file FIRs against these officials. 

The panel also raised questions against digital platforms, including Meta, over the dissemination of unlawful content, including child sexual abuse material, on their platforms. The panel further sought the removal of such material that targets children and demeans women, warning that platforms failing to remove it would face the withdrawal of protection under Section 79(3) of the IT Act. The warning was issued to all social media platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat.

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Mark Zuckerberg Apologises Over Operational Lapses on His Platforms, Say Sources

Regarding the PM video row, a Meta spokesperson had earlier addressed the matter, stating that the removal occurred due to an error. The spokesperson said, "The content was removed in error and has since been restored."

According to some media reports, Mark Zuckerberg has allegedly issued an apology to the Indian government over the operational lapses on his social media platforms. He further took cognizance of the concerns raised by the parliamentary panel and expressed regret over the circulation of deepfakes and child sexual abuse material (CSEAM).

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(Proofread by Varsha Pant)

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