The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video. The committee warned that failure to apologize could lead to Meta losing its safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, according to medianama.com.
Nishikant Dubey, chairperson of the committee, said the removal of the Prime Minister’s content was not an isolated incident. He referenced a previous statement and apology from Zuckerberg in January related to the 2024 elections. Dubey described the removal, which lasted from 12:30 am to 5:00 am, as a serious issue and accused Meta of having intentions to destabilize the country, per medianama.com.
The committee’s demand highlights ongoing tensions between Indian regulators and global social media platforms over content moderation and compliance with local laws. Section 79 of the IT Act grants safe harbour protections to intermediaries like Meta, shielding them from liability for user-generated content if they follow due diligence. Revoking this protection could expose Meta to legal risks and stricter regulatory oversight in India.
The committee’s statement was issued following a meeting chaired by Dubey on Monday. The next steps involve monitoring Meta’s response to the apology demand and potential regulatory actions concerning Section 79 protections, as reported by medianama.com.