Meta vs Government of India: Centre Says Meta's Explanation Over PM Narendra Modi's Post Removal 'Unreasonable'; Summons Policy Chief

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has summoned Meta’s global head of public policy after the tech giant briefly removed a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing student concerns over examination paper leaks. Although Meta issued an apology and restored the video, senior government sources revealed that the Centre has rejected the tech giant's official explanation, stating that the matter remains "far from settled" and requires deeper investigation.

According to sources, Meta informed officials that an automated content filtering glitch erroneously took down the Prime Minister’s video post. The government, however, found this reasoning unsatisfactory, noting that if automated tools are causing critical errors on high-profile public accounts, the company must urgently overhaul its moderation mechanisms. PM Narendra Modi's Facebook Video Restored After Meta Cites Technical Error.

The post in question—a three-minute video originally uploaded on July 23—featured PM Modi addressing the youth amid nationwide student protests. In the message, the Prime Minister acknowledged the distress caused by examination paper leaks and promised stringent legal measures, including fast-track courts and proposed anti-leak legislation. The video unexpectedly became inaccessible to Facebook users early on Tuesday morning. Users attempting to view the post encountered a notice indicating that the content had been restricted in India.

Following swift inquiry from Indian authorities, Meta restored the post and acknowledged the error. "The content was removed in error and has since been restored," a company spokesperson confirmed in an official statement. Facebook Blocked PM Narendra Modi’s Post Promising Strict Action Against Paper Leak in India, Claims BJP’s Tajinder Bagga.

Despite the restoration and apology, government sources emphasized that an automated system glitch cannot serve as a blanket justification for blocking official communications from the head of government. Officials indicated that the upcoming high-level meeting with Meta executives will address broader concerns regarding automated content moderation, compliance with Indian IT regulations, and platform governance.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2026 04:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).