'Cannot be dismissed as technical error': Parliamentary panel pulls up Meta over PM Modi's post removal
New Delhi, Aug 3
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on Monday expressed serious concern over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official Facebook post related to the NEET examination, describing the incident as one that raises important questions about the functioning and accountability of global social media platforms.
During a meeting to examine the subject "Social and Digital Platforms and Their Regulation", the Committee, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, sought detailed explanations from representatives of Meta, Google, YouTube, Snapchat, X as well as officials of the Ministries of Home Affairs and Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), sources said.
According to sources, the Chairperson asked the ministries and social media companies to submit written replies to unanswered questions within 10 days, saying the inputs would help the Committee prepare its report on regulating digital platforms while ensuring transparency, accountability and public confidence.
The Chairperson said the temporary disappearance of the Prime Minister's official Facebook post was a "highly serious issue" that could not be dismissed as a mere technical error. He said the Committee wanted to know why the post was removed, how long it remained unavailable, and what safeguards existed to prevent similar incidents affecting official government communications in future.
The Committee observed that if such an incident could occur with the Prime Minister's official account, it raised concerns about the protection available to ordinary users. It asked Meta to provide the complete audit trail from the reporting of the content to its eventual restoration, explain whether the removal resulted from a system failure or deliberate action, and clarify the role of its automated content moderation and recommendation systems.
The panel also questioned whether India's existing legal framework governing digital intermediaries was adequate to ensure transparency and accountability. It asked the government whether stronger legal provisions were required to deal with such incidents and sought the views of both MeitY and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Committee also raised broader concerns about Meta's content moderation practices, including alleged unexplained removals, account restrictions, and reduced visibility of pro-India and pro-government pages. It asked whether the company's policies on bullying, harassment, hate speech and coordinated abuse were being implemented in a fair and unbiased manner.
Beyond the PM's post, the Committee discussed rising cybercrime, noting that nearly 28.15 lakh cybercrime complaints involving losses of around Rs 22,495 crore were reported in 2025. It questioned why online fraud did not feature as a separate category in platform compliance reports and called for uniform reporting standards.
The Committee also flagged concerns over the BBC Eye investigation alleging Instagram carried advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material, the spread of AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, and fake investment scams on social media.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The real issue here is the lack of transparency. Meta explains nothing, apologizes quietly, and moves on. At least for government accounts there should be some accountability. What about the millions of Indian users who face arbitrary bans and shadowbans daily? The system needs better regulation for sure.
Not a Modi supporter but this is genuinely concerning. If a PM's post can disappear, it shows how little control we have over these platforms. The 10-day deadline for written replies is good, but I hope the committee actually enforces consequences this time instead of just raising concerns in the media.
Ye bhi ho sakta hai technical error? 🤔 Joke hai kya? When it's the PM's account, suddenly algorithms malfunction? I'm glad the committee is asking for the complete audit trail. We need to know whether this was a system failure or someone pressing a delete button in California. #Accountability
As someone who works in tech policy, I find this quite interesting. The question of whether India's current IT rules are adequate for regulating global platforms is genuinely important. The fact that the committee is also looking at cybercrime losses of Rs 22,000 crore shows how much is at stake. This isn't just about one post—it's about digital sovereignty.
The committee should focus equally on ordinary users who face censorship without any recourse. There's no help desk for common citizens when their posts get removed, but for the PM's account suddenly there's an audit trail? Double standards yaar. Anyway, better late than never for the parliamentary panel to wake up to these issues.
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