"Government Engages in High-Stakes Talks with Meta Over Controversial Post Removal"

Government Summons Meta's Public Policy Head Over Prime Minister's Restricted Facebook Post

The Indian government has taken a firm stance against Meta, summoning its public policy head following the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post on July 23. The post, addressing India's youth and promising tough actions against exam paper leaks, was briefly limited by the US-based social media giant.

A senior government official aounced that discussions with Meta will be held within a week on policy and technical concerns, including the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post. Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan emphasized the need for both policy-level and technical clarification from Meta to address India's specific concerns.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has outlined enhanced safeguards for content posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent accounts. The company has now implemented multiple levels of oversight and checks for posts by select individuals, ensuring rigorous scrutiny before any decision is finalized.

Following the incident, Meta attributed the restriction to a technical glitch and issued an apology. However, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) found the explanation insufficient. Meta has since informed the ministry about the additional oversight measures put in place and expressed regret over the incident.

Meta has assured the government that new protocols have been established to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The company has shared its assessment of the situation, along with the corrective actions taken to avoid such incidents. Meta's commitment to addressing the concerns raised by the Indian government has been highlighted.

Prime Minister Modi's engagement with the youth through social media, particularly the July 23 Instagram post later shared on Facebook, underscores the government's commitment to cracking down on exam paper leaks. The post, aimed at coecting with the youth, was temporarily restricted before being restored by Meta.

MeitY has summoned the global head of public policy of Meta (Facebook and Instagram) to address the concerns raised by the Indian government. The meeting aims to seek further clarification on the incident and ensure that adequate measures are in place to prevent such disruptions in the future.