India panel gives Zuckerberg ultimatum over Modi video

A parliamentary committee in India has given Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a three-day ultimatum to apologize for the temporary removal of a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook, warning the company could lose critical legal protections. The demand, issued by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, follows a meeting on August 3 where Meta representatives were questioned about the incident.

The committee, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, described the removal as a serious matter and an attack on democracy. It has asked Meta to take action against those responsible and provide a complete audit trail detailing how the video was taken down and later restored. The panel stated that if Meta fails to apologize and take action within the deadline, the government may consider withdrawing the platform's safe harbour protection under Section 79 of India's Information Technology Act. This protection shields social media companies from legal liability for user-generated content, and its removal could expose Meta to direct legal action, including potential criminal proceedings.

The controversy began in the early...