Centre Summons Meta Over Removal Of PM Modi's Facebook Post, Says Company's Explanation 'Not Reasonable'

New Delhi, July 29, 2026: The Centre has summoned Meta's global head of public policy after the social media giant removed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post that addressed India's youth and promised strict action against paper leaks.

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Although Meta later apologised and restored the post, government sources said the company's explanation was "not reasonable" and that the issue is far from over.

According to sources, Meta informed the government that the post was taken down because of a glitch in its automated content filters. However, the government believes the explanation does not fully address the issue.

Sources said deeper discussions with the company are required and stressed that if an automated system caused the mistake, Meta must improve its tools to prevent similar incidents.

Questions Over Accountability

Sources said the IT Ministry has summoned Meta's global head of public policy, who oversees Facebook and Instagram, to explain the incident. The government has made it clear that the matter is "not settled and done", indicating that it expects greater accountability from the company.

The post in question was originally shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Instagram on July 23 and was later posted on Facebook. It featured his first direct selfie video aimed at connecting with young people. In the video, Modi spoke about the government's commitment to introducing strict measures against paper leaks.

Political Row Over Content Moderation

The removal of the post triggered criticism from BJP worker Priti Gandhi, who questioned Meta's actions. In a post on X, she accused the company of raising concerns over political bias, transparency, and accountability by restricting the Prime Minister's video.

"The Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy uploads his first direct selfie video to connect with India's youth... and Facebook restricts it??? Who gave Meta the authority to decide what millions of Indians should or should not see???" Gandhi wrote. She also alleged that the incident raised serious questions about Meta's content moderation practices.

Meta later admitted that the content had been removed "in error" and confirmed that it had restored the post. "The content was removed in error and has since been restored," a company spokesperson said.

Paper Leak Message At Centre

The video was posted during a student protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party and focused on the government's plans to tackle paper leaks. In the video, Modi announced that a Bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks would be introduced in Parliament.

He also said the proposed legislation would be discussed at a meeting of the Union Cabinet the following day before being finalised.

Meta Already Under Government Lens

The latest episode comes at a time when Meta is facing increased scrutiny from the government on multiple fronts. Earlier, the IT Ministry issued a notice to WhatsApp over its proposed username feature, warning that it could increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks.

The Centre directed the Meta-owned platform not to launch the feature until consultations with the government were completed, after which WhatsApp assured authorities that it would not roll it out in India until discussions concluded.

The government also served a notice to Meta over Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) appearing in paid advertisements on Instagram.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed Instagram to disable such advertisements and related content while seeking a detailed explanation within a specified deadline.

Meta later highlighted its AI-powered detection systems and enforcement efforts against child sexual abuse material (CSAM), saying it would continue investing in technology and strengthen its advertisement review processes.

Growing Pressure On Big Tech

Meta also faced criticism over its Muse Image AI feature, which drew concerns about data privacy, image scraping, and user consent. The Indian government had said it would examine the feature under the existing legal framework before Meta eventually withdrew it worldwide, saying it had "missed the mark" after receiving user feedback, PTI reported.

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META Apologises After PM Modi's Gen Z Video Faces Temporary Restriction In India

With digital platforms playing an increasingly influential role in shaping public discourse and handling user data, the Centre has stepped up oversight of emerging technologies.

The latest action against Meta signals that the government expects stronger safeguards, greater transparency, and better accountability from technology companies operating in India.

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