'Apologise or lose Safe Harbour': Parliament panel's 3-day ultimatum to Zuckerberg over PM video removal

The Parliamentary Committee on Communications and Information Technology issued a three-day ultimatum to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to apologise and act against those behind the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 23 video or risk losing its safe harbour protection, as per the sources.

The panel further warned that all major social media platforms, including Google, YouTube, X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat, must comply with Indian laws governing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and content related to crimes against women.

The committee also questioned why law enforcement agencies in Telangana had not been given the necessary clearance to proceed in the matter and sought clarity on “who filed an FIR against social media platforms", indicating that accountability should extend beyond Meta if required, according to the sources.

The Parliamentary panel, headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, termed the temporary removal of the Prime Minister’s video an “attack on democracy", saying the post represented not just the Prime Minister but the voice of 1.4 billion Indians.