India summons Meta exec after Modi video briefly removed

The Indian government has summoned a senior Meta executive after a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly removed from Facebook, rejecting the company's explanation of an automated glitch and signaling heightened scrutiny of the social media giant. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta's global head of public policy on Tuesday, July 28, seeking a detailed explanation for the incident.

The video, a selfie-style address posted by Modi on July 23, was aimed at young people and addressed widespread student protests over recent national examination paper leaks. In the video, the prime minister acknowledged student distress and outlined government efforts, including plans to introduce a bill with stringent punishments for those involved in leaks. The video was later shared on Facebook, where it was temporarily restricted early on Tuesday. Users attempting to access it were shown a message indicating it was unavailable in India due to a legal request, sparking an immediate online backlash.

Meta quickly restored the video and issued an apology, attributing the removal to an error. A company spokesperson stated the content was removed in...