Meta apologises for temporary restriction of PM Modi's Facebook post, conveys regret to IT Minister
New Delhi, Aug 5
Meta on Wednesday apologised for the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, with the company's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan saying the apology was conveyed directly to Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
"I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi's post," Kaplan said in a statement shared by the company with NDTV.
Kaplan was part of a global Meta delegation that met Vaishnaw on Wednesday, during which the company acknowledged lapses in the functioning of its platforms.
The delegation also held separate discussions with IT Secretary S. Krishnan ahead of the ministerial meeting.
The latest apology comes amid heightened scrutiny of Meta's operations in India after concerns were raised over content moderation and the brief restriction of the Prime Minister's Facebook post.
Earlier in the day, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also apologised over the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content and shortcomings in the operation of the company's platforms, according to government sources.
Sources said Zuckerberg acknowledged concerns raised by the government regarding the spread of objectionable and manipulated content and expressed regret over what were described as errors in the operation of the platform.
Government sources further claimed that authorities conveyed to Meta that its role in selecting and distributing content to users could place it outside the definition of a neutral intermediary under Indian law.
According to the sources, officials made it clear that the "safe harbour" protections available under the Information Technology Act may not apply if a platform is found to be actively determining which content reaches users.
"It was made clear to them that they are not covered under the intermediary definition. They select who receives the content. Safe harbour under the IT Act not applicable. They admitted that a lot of money was paid for boosting certain types of content. They apologised and regretted the mistake," the sources said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's concerning how much power these platforms have. The fact that they decide who sees what content and even get paid to boost certain posts shows we need stronger regulations. This is a wake-up call for digital sovereignty.
The apology is welcome but we need concrete action, not just sorry statements. If they're taking money to boost content, is that even neutral? Our IT Act needs updating for the digital age, and platforms must be transparent about their algorithms.
देखो, apology toh theek hai but the real issue is these platforms think they're above the law. Humara desh hai, humari laws hain. If they can't follow our rules, they shouldn't operate here. Simple as that.
This is a big win for India's digital rights. But more importantly, the admission about paid content boosting is alarming. We need to know who's paying and what content is being pushed. Transparency is non-negotiable for democratic platforms.
True that they need to be more careful. But let's also appreciate that they came forward and apologized directly to the minister. Shows that India's stance on digital regulation is being taken seriously globally now.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.