Mark Zuckerberg Apologises To Indian Government Amid PM Modi Video Row

Government sources said on Wednesday that Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the Indian government over what they described as "errors in operating platforms", days after Facebook briefly blocked a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The apology also addressed concerns over child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake content on Meta's platforms, the sources said.

The development comes after the Centre sought an explanation from Meta over the temporary restriction of the Prime Minister's video, prompting closer scrutiny of the company's content moderation processes. The company later restored the video, saying it had been removed in error and apologising for the lapse. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) subsequently summoned Meta executives to explain the incident.

The issue later came before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology. Committee chairperson Nishikant Dubey said Meta's explanation was inadequate and sought a personal apology from Zuckerberg. He also said the panel could recommend action if the company failed to respond satisfactorily to its concerns.

According to the government sources, Zuckerberg's apology covered concerns over CSAM, AI-generated deepfakes and what they described as "errors in operating platforms". The latest development comes amid increased government scrutiny of digital intermediaries over content moderation and compliance with India's digital rules.

The government has repeatedly said social media platforms operating in the country must strengthen safeguards against illegal content while ensuring that lawful content is not removed because of moderation errors.