New Delhi: The Government of India has issued a strict three-day ultimatum to Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, demanding an unconditional apology for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video on examination reforms from Facebook. The directive comes amid growing official frustration over automated content moderation failures and platform compliance, with authorities warning that failure to issue a formal apology will lead to the immediate revocation of the company’s legal immunity under national digital laws.
During a high-level summons meeting in New Delhi with Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan and Vice-President and Head of Global Policy Kevin Martin, Information Technology Secretary S. Krishnan communicated the firm stance of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The IT Secretary warned that Meta risks losing its safe harbour protection under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act if the company fails to respond satisfactorily and comply with government directions within the three-day window.
The executive ultimatum aligns with strong recommendations from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey. The parliamentary panel convened meetings with senior ministry officials and representatives from major tech firms to evaluate digital platform accountability. The committee expressed deep concern over the nearly six-hour restriction placed on the Prime Minister’s video, which had addressed young citizens and students regarding competitive examination paper leaks and government reforms.
In a formal communication to the IT Ministry, the parliamentary panel urged the Centre to initiate legal proceedings against Zuckerberg as a publisher should he fail to tender an unqualified apology. Under Section 79 of the IT Act, social media platforms operate as intermediaries and are shielded from direct legal liability for user-generated content, provided they adhere to statutory due diligence rules. Withdrawing this statutory protection would subject Meta to direct civil and criminal prosecution for content hosted across its services in India.
Beyond the high-profile moderation failure, Indian authorities reiterated grave concerns regarding Meta’s handling of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and content demeaning women across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The government emphasized that digital intermediaries must demonstrate full compliance with Indian laws, eliminate algorithmic bias, and deploy reliable automated tools to swiftly take down illegal material. Meta has been given three days to fulfill the directives and submit a comprehensive explanation regarding its compliance mechanisms.
