Indian officials have summoned senior Meta executives after Facebook briefly restricted a video Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Instagram on July 23. Meta said the restriction was inadvertent and has introduced new protocols for high-profile accounts. S. Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, demanded an explanation "at the highest level." The video has more than 404 million Instagram views and followed mass student protests that prompted the education minister's resignation.
India Summons Meta Executives After Facebook Briefly Restricted Modi Video
FILE PHOTO: People are seen behind a logo of Meta Platforms, during a conference in Mumbai
MUMBAI, July 30 — Indian authorities have summoned senior executives from U.S. tech company Meta after Facebook briefly restricted a video Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Instagram on July 23 and later shared to Facebook. The move underscores growing tensions between the Indian government and major social platforms over content moderation.
S. Krishnan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said the government has asked Meta to "come in at the highest level and explain what is happening." He did not specify which executives were requested to appear.
A Meta spokesperson told authorities the Facebook restriction was inadvertent. Krishnan said Meta has informed officials it has implemented new protocols for accounts belonging to prominent individuals to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"We have asked Meta to come in at the highest level and explain what is happening," — S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Meta India did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Modi's July 23 video — his first public remarks on the large student protests that led to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation — has attracted more than 404 million views on Instagram.
The episode is the latest example of the Modi administration pushing back against Big Tech on content and moderation issues. Given that India is Facebook's largest market by user numbers, such incidents carry both political significance and commercial implications.
(Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Joe Bavier)
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