A parliamentary committee in India has issued a stern three-day ultimatum to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding an apology and action regarding the temporary removal of a video post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Facebook. The committee has warned that non-compliance could lead to severe repercussions, including the withdrawal of Meta's 'Safe Harbour' protection in India.
Threat to Safe Harbour Protection
The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology, led by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, reportedly gave Meta until August 8, 2026, to address the issue. Should Meta fail to apologize and identify those responsible for the video's removal within this timeframe, the Indian government may consider revoking Facebook's Safe Harbour status.
Safe Harbour protection shields social media platforms from legal liability for content posted by their users. Losing this protection would expose Meta to direct legal actions, including potential criminal proceedings, for user-generated content, significantly altering its operational landscape in India.
"Attack on Democracy"
The committee described the removal of PM Modi's video as an “attack on democracy,” underscoring the seriousness of the incident from the government's perspective. In response to the controversy, the government has also summoned Meta's Public Policy head, Joel Kaplan, along with technical officials from Instagram, for a meeting expected to take place on August 5, 2026.
This development highlights the increasing scrutiny and pressure faced by global tech giants from national governments regarding content moderation policies and their impact on political discourse.