The Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Nishikant Dubey, on Monday said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg should apologise for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook, warning that the company's legal protections under Indian law could come under scrutiny if it fails to do so.

The remarks come after Meta briefly removed a video posted by the Prime Minister on July 23, in which he described paper leaks as a serious issue and spoke about establishing fast-track courts to deal with such cases. The video was unavailable for several hours before being restored.

Committee Raises Serious Concerns

Dubey said the Parliamentary Committee had taken serious note of the incident and questioned Meta's content moderation practices.

He stated that if the company does not apologise, the government could consider reviewing the safe harbour protectionavailable to intermediary platforms under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.

He also alleged that social media companies often prioritise certain content and users through their platform policies.

Meta Cites Technical Error

Following the restoration of the video, Meta stated that its removal resulted from a technical error and not from any policy decision.

The company restored the content after identifying the issue, maintaining that there was no intentional action against the Prime Minister's account.

What Is Safe Harbour Protection?

Section 79 of the Information Technology Act grants intermediary platforms legal immunity from liability for content posted by users, provided they comply with due diligence requirements and remove unlawful content when directed by competent authorities.

The protection is available to major digital platforms, including Meta, YouTube, X, Google, Amazon, Flipkart, Jio and Airtel.

If intermediary protection is withdrawn, a platform could face greater legal liability for user-generated content under applicable laws.

Investigation Into AI-Morphed Videos

Separately, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered FIRs in connection with alleged AI-generated morphed videos, naming several social media account handlers.

According to reports, Meta India Head Arun Srinivas has been named as a co-accused in the cases, along with individuals accused of creating and circulating the videos.

Police are investigating those responsible for producing the AI-generated content, uploading it to social media platforms and amplifying its reach.

Meta's Global Team Expected in Delhi

According to official sources, investigators also intend to examine Meta's content moderation systems, algorithms and safeguards against the spread of manipulated content.

The company's global representatives are expected to visit New Delhi next week for discussions with Indian authorities regarding the functioning of its moderation systems and compliance with Indian regulations.

The Centre has not announced any formal decision regarding the withdrawal of safe harbour protection, and no action has yet been initiated under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.