Meta's Joel Kaplan Apologises to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Over PM Narendra Modi's Facebook Post
Meta apologised to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for temporarily restricting PM Narendra Modi's Facebook post due to an AI glitch. During high-level talks, India questioned Meta's safe harbour protections under the IT Act over algorithmic curation, deepfakes, and compliance. Scroll below to know what Joel Kaplan, chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, said.
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Meta has formally apologised for the brief and erroneous restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post last month, admitting to platform lapses during high-level discussions with Indian government officials in New Delhi. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, conveyed the apology directly to Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a meeting on Wednesday, August 5, addressing an incident that triggered intense regulatory scrutiny and a parliamentary backlash.
Kaplan Conveys Apology Following Global Delegation Visit
Kaplan led a visiting global delegation from Meta for discussions with Minister Vaishnaw, following separate talks held with IT Secretary S. Krishnan. The high-level meetings were prompted by the central government summoning Meta's global executives after Prime Minister Modi's post was temporarily taken down. PM Narendra Modi's Facebook Video Row: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Apologises for Operational Errors, Say Govt Sources.
"I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi's post," Kaplan said in a statement shared by Meta with NDTV. The controversy originated on July 23, when a video featuring Prime Minister Modi addressing young people and promising strict action against examination paper leaks was removed from Facebook after being shared from Instagram. Meta previously attributed the removal to a technical glitch within its automated, AI-driven content filtering systems and subsequently reinstated the post.
Government Scrutinises Safe Harbour Status and Legal Compliance
During the meetings, Indian officials challenged Meta's claim to "safe harbour" protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The government argued that because Meta's algorithms actively curate and recommend material rather than merely acting as a passive host for third-party content, the company's legal immunities could face review if compliance standards are not met. Government sources cited by PTI also indicated that Meta executives acknowledged during the discussions that "a lot of money was paid for boosting a certain type of content," though no further elaboration was provided.
Beyond the specific incident involving the Prime Minister's post, officials raised broader concerns with the tech giant. Discussions covered critical issues including the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, security safeguards for high-profile and verified accounts, and overall adherence to Indian regulatory frameworks. What Is CSAM Content? Everything You Need To Know As Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Apologises to Indian Government.
Parliamentary Committee Demands Accountability
The government meetings coincided with separate pressure from the legislature. On Wednesday, a Parliamentary Standing Committee demanded an apology directly from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the episode, warning that the statutory legal protections afforded to the platform could be reconsidered if an apology was not issued within a three-day window.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2026 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
