'Apologise or face action': Zuckerberg gets ultimatum over Modi video
What's the story
The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology has given a three-day deadline to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. The committee has demanded an apology from Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video on July 23, and action against those responsible for it. The panel, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, described the deletion as an "attack on democracy."
Warning issued
Facebook could lose Safe Harbour protection
The panel has warned that if Facebook doesn't take action against those responsible for this incident, it could lose its "Safe Harbour" protection.
This would allow FIRs to be filed directly against officials of the social media platform, with the central government giving its nod.
Shared on Instagram and Facebook, Modi's selfie video promised Gen Z tough action on paper leaks amid protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
However, Meta briefly removed the Facebook post, triggering sharp political backlash.
Company apology
Meta apologized for the 'technical glitch'
Meta has since apologized for the "technical glitch" that led to the removal of PM Modi's video.
However, the IT ministry has rejected Meta's explanation as "not reasonable."
They said if it was indeed a glitch, then as a tech company, Meta should have acted quickly to fix its own tools.
Regulatory challenges
Meta under scrutiny for CSAM content in paid ads
Apart from this incident, Meta is also under regulatory scrutiny over the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in paid ads on Instagram.
The government had issued a notice to Meta last month over this issue.
The Parliamentary panel has now warned all social media platforms including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat to comply with CSAM rules or face legal action.