The Meta apology over PM Modi’s video follows Facebook’s temporary restriction of a July 23 post addressing student protests and exam paper leaks. India has demanded technical answers, while a parliamentary panel has pressed Mark Zuckerberg for accountability.

Meta apologizes after Facebook restriction

Meta has apologized to the Indian government after Facebook briefly restricted a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The video was uploaded to Instagram on July 23, 2026, and later shared on Facebook, where it temporarily became unavailable. Meta said the content was removed in error and restored the post.

Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan said he apologized to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the company’s behalf.

“I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post,” Kaplan said.

His remarks followed discussions between Meta’s global leadership and Indian government officials in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

Video addressed exam paper-leak protests

Modi’s video addressed young people protesting examination paper leaks and promised stronger action against those responsible.

The video had received more than 404 million views on Instagram by July 30, according to Reuters.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology sought policy and technical explanations from Meta after the Facebook restriction. IT Secretary S. Krishnan said the company’s initial response did not fully address the government’s concerns.

Officials wanted Meta to explain why the post was restricted, how its moderation systems handled content from prominent public accounts and what measures would prevent similar errors.

Meta introduces additional safeguards

Meta said the post was removed in error. Reports attributed the restriction to a technical or automated moderation failure, although the company has not publicly detailed the exact system problem.

The company told Indian authorities that it introduced additional safeguards for prominent accounts after July 28 to reduce the possibility of lawful posts being wrongly restricted.

Available statements have described the incident as an operational or technical error. However, Meta has not identified the precise moderation process that caused the restriction or whether human review was involved.

Parliamentary panel pressures Zuckerberg

A parliamentary committee separately demanded an unqualified apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg within three days.

The panel also recommended withdrawing Meta’s safe-harbor protection in India if Zuckerberg failed to comply. Safe-harbor provisions conditionally protect online platforms from legal liability for content posted by users, provided the companies follow applicable laws and government orders.

The committee’s recommendation is not binding, and any change to Meta’s legal protections would require action by the Indian government.

Meta has restored Modi’s video and apologized for the error, but Indian officials are continuing to examine whether the company’s new safeguards are sufficient to prevent similar moderation failures involving verified and prominent accounts.