Indian Parliamentary Panel Demands Apology From Mark Zuckerberg

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded a formal apology from Mark Zuckerberg within three days after Meta temporarily removed a Facebook Reel posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video, posted on July 23 and briefly unavailable on July 28, addressed student concerns regarding the NEET-UG paper leak and proposed legislation for fast-track courts.

Committee Chairperson Nishikant Dubey warned that failure to apologize could lead to the withdrawal of Meta's safe harbor protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. Dubey argued that by removing the content, Meta acted as a publisher rather than a neutral intermediary. During committee meetings, Meta executives attributed the removal to an algorithmic error and apologized, but lawmakers continued to demand personal accountability from Zuckerberg.

The committee has formally urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Home Affairs to act on the demand. These proceedings occurred alongside broader scrutiny of Meta regarding child sexual abuse material and AI-generated misinformation. Meanwhile, in a separate legal action, the Bombay High Court ordered Meta and Google to remove abusive AI-generated content targeting Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.