New Delhi: The Indian government was caught off guard when social media giant Meta blocked one of the videos posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering swift questions from officials on how such a lapse could happen with content from the country’s top leader.
The video in question was posted by Modi on July 23, carrying a message for students and parents anxious over the ongoing NEET paper leak issue. In it, he said, “Friends, I know that paper leak is not a minor issue. It has caused immense pain to lakhs of students and their parents.” He went on to speak about the government’s plan to set up fast-track courts and bring stricter punishment for those responsible for such leaks.
Soon after the video went up, users in India found they could no longer access it on Facebook. The sudden disappearance of a message from the Prime Minister raised eyebrows within the government, prompting officials to seek answers from the company.
Meta responded quickly, issuing a short statement to clear up the confusion: “The content was removed in error and has since been restored.” The video was back online within hours.
That explanation, however, was not enough to close the matter. Sources said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta’s global head of public policy, asking the company to explain how the mistake occurred in the first place.
This isn’t the first time Meta has come under the government’s lens. The ministry had earlier pulled up Instagram over separate concerns and asked for a detailed response within seven days, warning that repeated errors could put the platform’s legal protection under the IT Act at risk.
For now, the video is restored, and Meta has closed its response with a one-line apology. But with the government watching closely, this may not be the last time New Delhi and the tech giant discuss how such content gets moderated.
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