New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT) has given Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a three-day ultimatum to apologise over the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video addressing students and Gen Z on examination-related controversies and strict action against paper leaks.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has informed the government that if Mark Zuckerberg fails to issue an apology within the stipulated time, the protection available to Meta platforms under the IT Act may be withdrawn. The communication also states that further action against him may be considered.
The development comes on a day when Meta officials are meeting senior government officials regarding the removal of the Prime Minister’s post. Discussions between the company and the government on the matter are currently underway.
According to a letter accessed by The Indian Express, A. Jyothirmayi, Director of the Lok Sabha, wrote to S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The letter refers to the Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting held on August 3, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and social media platforms, including Meta, which operates Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
The letter states that the Committee viewed the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video from Facebook for approximately 5–6 hours as a serious matter. The video addressed students and Gen Z on examination-related controversies and strict measures against paper leaks. During the deliberations, the Committee demanded a public apology from Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief of Meta, over the incident.
