Ahmad Adil
05 August 2026•Update: 05 August 2026
Meta has apologized to the Indian government over the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video post last month, following demands from lawmakers for an explanation.
Meta Platforms Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met Indian officials in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
After the meeting, Kaplan said he had "apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi's post," according to the Press Trust of India.
The apology came after an Indian parliamentary panel demanded that Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg apologize over the incident, warning it could recommend revoking legal protections for social media platforms if he failed to do so.
Nishikant Dubey, the ruling party lawmaker who heads parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said Wednesday that "Mark Zuckerberg must apologize within three days."
He warned that the panel could recommend withdrawing the protections if Zuckerberg failed to comply.
India's "safe harbor" provisions shield online intermediaries from legal liability for unlawful third-party content posted on their platforms.
The remarks came as Meta executives held meetings with Indian officials this week over the issue.
A Facebook post featuring Modi's selfie video addressing Indian youth during student protests was briefly restricted on the platform last month.
Although Meta restored the post and apologized, the ministry said it did not consider the company's explanation sufficient.
