'Apologise or Lose Safe Harbour': IT Panel Chief Nishikant Dubey's Warning to Meta's Mark Zuckerberg

The row over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video has escalated, with Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology chairman cwarning that Meta could lose its safe harbour protection if CEO Mark Zuckerberg does not personally apologise.

Speaking after the committee's meeting with representatives of major social media platforms, Dubey said the issue was far too serious to be resolved by Meta India's explanation that the video had been taken down due to a technical error.

"This is not the first time Meta has done this," Dubey said, referring to Zuckerberg's earlier apology over remarks linked to India's 2024 elections.

"If he does not apologise, then Meta's safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act should be withdrawn," he said.

The committee's remarks come days after Facebook briefly removed Prime Minister Modi's video addressing students on the government's response to examination paper leaks before restoring it. Meta later attributed the removal to a technical error.

Dubey alleged that the Prime Minister's video remained inaccessible for several hours and described the incident as a serious matter, questioning how content posted by India's elected Prime Minister could disappear from the platform.

The BJP MP also broadened his criticism of large technology platforms, alleging they had failed to act adequately against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and harmful content targeting women despite legal obligations under India's Information Technology Rules.

He claimed platforms had not responded adequately to directions from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Home Affairs, arguing that repeated failures strengthened the case for reviewing their legal protections.

Under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, online intermediaries such as Meta enjoy safe harbour protection, which shields them from legal liability for user-generated content provided they comply with the due diligence requirements prescribed under Indian law. Failure to meet those obligations can result in the loss of that protection and expose companies to legal action.

The remarks came after the Parliamentary Standing Committee heard presentations from officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and representatives of Meta, Google, X, YouTube and Snapchat as part of its ongoing review of the regulation of social and digital media platforms.

(With inputs from ANI)