Social media platforms must exercise responsibility, says Parliamentary Standing Committee member on Meta row
New Delhi Augus, t 6
Social media platforms must exercise responsibility while ensuring freedom of speech and expression, Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Member of Parliament and Member, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, said on Thursday, commenting on the recent controversy involving Meta.
"Definitely, freedom of speech, freedom of expression. This has been a challenge that freedom of speech should have some limitations. So, not just Meta, but all the social media platforms, there has been exploitation, which is causing some people personal losses," Dhotre said while responding to the question asked by ANI on Meta row.
Referring to reports regarding the removal of a post related to the Prime Minister, Dhotre said the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee had sought an apology from Meta over the incident.
"That is one thing. And the other thing which was in the news was that the Prime Minister's post was taken down for some unknown reasons. Definitely, our Chairman has demanded an apology from Meta. I guess it is going to happen, and in some news it was reported that the chief of Meta has apologised," he said. As a result, Meta has apologised for the same
Dhotre was speaking on the sidelines of the 3rd India International FinTech Festival 2026 organised by ASSOCHAM.
Addressing the inaugural session, Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Member of Parliament and Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, said India's rapid digital transformation has created immense opportunities, but the next stage of growth must be driven by technology-led employment, financial empowerment and stronger protection against cyber fraud.
"We need to move towards Viksit Bharat @2047 through technology-led job creation and financial empowerment with enhanced security against cyber frauds and financial scams. The focus areas must include promoting fintech innovations in sectors like agriculture and building scalable infrastructure and solutions through an industry-fintech-policy convergence," Dhotre said.
He added that India has now joined the league of countries offering world-class digital financial services.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in the tech industry, I think there's a fine balance to strike here. While I agree that platforms like Meta need to be held accountable, we also have to be careful that the call for "responsibility" doesn't become a tool for censorship. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right that should not be compromised lightly.
Why should foreign companies decide what Indians can see or not see? We have our own IT laws and constitutional framework. If Meta can't respect the sentiments of 1.4 billion Indians, then they should pack up and leave. The government should seriously consider stronger regulations and even an Indian alternative to these platforms.
I've lived in Bangalore for 8 years now and the digital transformation here is incredible. But we need to ensure that democracy and technology evolve together. Platforms must practice transparency — if they take down content, they need clear, consistent policies. Apologizing is one thing, but change has to come from within those companies.
I'm happy that the government is finally taking this seriously. Social media algorithms are causing real harm — from spreading misinformation to targeting individuals. If Meta can't self-regulate, then the government must step in. Better late than never. 👏🏽
I understand the frustration here, but as someone who works in journalism and fact-checking, I fear that demanding platforms to "take responsibility" often results in over-censorship. We need to find a middle ground — where content is moderated fairly, but not silenced just because it criticizes those in power. It's a tricky space.