Lawmakers questioning Meta officials over the removal of a video by Prime Minister Narendra Modi say safe-harbor protections can be withdrawn
India’s anger at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the blocking of a video address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook has intensified, with lawmakers setting a three-day deadline for the tech boss to personally apologize.
The head of a parliamentary panel that heard Meta officials on the takedown on Monday announced the demand, while calling for action against those in the company responsible for the move.
The panel’s head, Nishikant Dubey, a lawmaker from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called the video’s removal an “attack on democracy” on Wednesday.
“If Facebook does not take action against those responsible in this matter, the Safe Harbour Clause will be removed. Mark Zuckerberg will have to apologize. Otherwise, a case may be filed,” reports quoted him as saying.
Meta’s chief of global affairs, Joel Kaplan, was also called in on Wednesday by the secretary of the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to explain the takedown.
#BREAKING | A Meta delegation led by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan in New Delhi over the deletion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message to students from Facebook. pic.twitter.com/kOgAUbEkaH
The government’s ire may stem from the fact that the blocked video was the prime minister’s direct address to students who had protested in the capital – a sensitive issue for the BJP.
The secretariat of the Lok Sabha, the upper house, has told the government that if Zuckerberg does not apologize, the protection to Meta platforms under the IT Act may be withdrawn and he may face action, the Indian Express reported. The panel cannot directly punish anyone.
The safe harbor clause under India’s Information Technology Act protects internet service providers, social media platforms, and online marketplaces from legal liability for third-party content, provided they act as neutral hosts and follow basic due diligence.
Its withdrawal may open a floodgate of complaints against Meta officials and Zuckerberg in police stations across the country.
The parliamentary panel has also warned all social media platforms to comply with the country’s Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) rules. Meta was slapped with a notice over violations of the rules by Instagram last month.
