Meta apologises for removing Modi’s Facebook video addressing students
Meta apologized to the Indian government after an automated moderation tool mistakenly removed a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has summoned a senior Meta executive to discuss compliance with IT rules and the platform's automated takedown processes.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing tension between global tech platforms and the Indian government regarding content moderation, automated censorship, and regulatory compliance.
The Union Government has sought a formal explanation from Meta after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video was briefly taken down by Facebook owing to what an automated platform alert initially described as a “legal request”.
In the video posted on 23 July, Mr Modi sought to reassure students that his administration was taking firm action on NEET examination paper leaks.
A source familiar with the matter told The Hindu that the post had been mistakenly flagged by an automated moderation tool designed to filter AI-generated content. Facebook’s parent company is said to have apologised for the error. The video was taken down only in India and remained accessible elsewhere in the world.
“The content was removed in error and has since been restored,” a Meta spokesperson told The Hindu.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in