New Delhi: Senior executives from Meta’s global leadership met top officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Wednesday after being summoned by the Government of India over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post. The meeting focused on the controversial takedown of the Prime Minister’s post, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on Meta platforms and broader issues relating to platform accountability and compliance with Indian laws.
The meeting, which lasted around 45 minutes, comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of the social media giant and follows the government’s rejection of Meta’s earlier explanation that the removal of the Prime Minister’s post was caused by a technical glitch.
Meta delegation meets senior officials
The Meta delegation included Joel Kaplan, the company’s Global Affairs officer, along with other senior executives.
The team met IT Secretary S. Krishnan and other senior officials of MeitY to discuss concerns raised by the government regarding the functioning of Meta’s platforms in India.
The delegation is also scheduled to meet Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw later in the day.
PM Modi post removal discussed
The government summoned Meta’s global executives after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post, originally shared from Instagram on July 23, was briefly restricted on the platform.
The selfie-style video featured the Prime Minister addressing India’s youth and assuring strict action against paper leaks during protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Although Meta later restored the post and apologised, stating that it had been removed due to a technical error, MeitY described the explanation as “inadequate” and said the company should have stronger technological safeguards to prevent such incidents.
Government raises multiple concerns
Apart from the PM Modi post controversy, government officials also discussed concerns relating to the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on Meta platforms.
The ministry sought details of the measures adopted by Meta to detect and remove such content, including paid advertisements carrying CSAM.
Officials also discussed the handling of synthetically generated content, safeguards for verified accounts of prominent public personalities and the company’s content moderation practices.
According to IT Secretary S. Krishnan, global technology companies are expected to fully understand and comply with Indian laws while ensuring that their platforms function responsibly.
Questions over platform accountability
Government sources indicated that discussions extended beyond technical issues and included broader concerns relating to public order and national security.
Officials reportedly sought explanations regarding Meta’s content moderation systems, algorithmic decision-making and the safeguards in place to prevent the wrongful removal of content posted by verified and prominent users.
The government has emphasised that global technology companies operating in India must maintain transparent and accountable systems that comply with domestic legal requirements.
Meta outlines additional safeguards
Following the incident, Meta informed the IT Ministry that it had introduced additional oversight for content posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent verified accounts.
According to the company, posts from such accounts will now undergo multiple levels of review involving senior officials to reduce the possibility of erroneous takedowns.
Meta has maintained that the July 23 post was mistakenly removed by AI-powered automated content filters reviewing related shared content before being restored.
Parliamentary panel also seeks apology
The developments coincide with a Parliamentary Standing Committee demanding an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the removal of the Prime Minister’s Facebook post.
The committee has reportedly warned that if an apology is not issued within three days, it could recommend reconsidering the legal protections available to the company under India’s intermediary framework.
The matter continues to draw attention as Parliament and the government intensify scrutiny of the functioning and accountability of major digital platforms operating in the country.
Conclusion
The meeting between Meta’s global executives and senior government officials marks another step in the ongoing dialogue over platform accountability, content moderation and regulatory compliance. While Meta has apologised and introduced additional safeguards, the government has indicated that it expects stronger systems to prevent similar incidents and ensure compliance with Indian laws.