The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday sought an “unqualified apology” from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook, warning that the platform could lose its legal immunity in India.
In a communication to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the committee expressed concern that a video of the Prime Minister addressing students and Gen Z on examination controversies and paper leaks was unavailable on Facebook for around five to six hours, ANI reported.
Earlier, Nishikant Dubey, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said he has written to the Ministries of IT and Home Affairs, arguing that deleting the PM’s video was the responsibility of a publisher, not an intermediary.
He demanded that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologise within three days, warning that otherwise the government should revoke the “safe harbour” protection available to social media platforms.
Dubey alleged that social media platforms were misusing this protection by allowing abusive, violent and objectionable content. He added that if people affected by such content file FIRs against the Meta chief, it could trigger a nationwide wave of legal cases.
Meta delegation meets MeitY Secretary over deletion of PM Modi’s Facebook video
A Meta delegation led by its Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, met MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan on Wednesday to discuss the deletion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message to students from Facebook. The meeting focused on the brief removal of the Prime Minister’s video and the concerns raised by the government over the incident.
What is Safe Harbor Protection?
Safe Harbor, provided under Section 79 of the IT Act, is a legal protective shield that prevents internet platforms from being held responsible for any incorrect or illegal content posted by their users.
This means that the company or its officials will not be punished for the user’s offense, provided they remove the post upon receiving a government order.
Besides Meta, this protection is also available to YouTube, X (Twitter), Google, Amazon, Flipkart, and Jio & Airtel.
Government to interrogate Meta’s global team
Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered an FIR against several social media account handlers, including Arun Srinivas, Head of Meta India. The police have registered two separate cases based on a complaint from BJP workers.
Srinivas has been made a co-accused in both cases. Those who shared the videos from social media accounts have also been accused.
Police are investigating those who created AI-morphed videos, first uploaded them, and made them go viral. Additionally, Meta’s systems and security measures designed to prevent fake content on Facebook and Instagram are also being investigated.
According to sources, Meta’s team will be questioned about bias in algorithms, the functioning of algorithms, and the company’s role in public order. Meta’s global team will visit Delhi next week.
