The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sought a detailed explanation from Meta over the temporary restriction placed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post, with senior company officials expected to meet government representatives within the next seven to 10 days.
Speaking on the issue, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said the government has asked Meta to provide both a policy-level and technical explanation to determine how the incident occurred.
“India intends to convey its concerns directly to Meta and obtain a comprehensive account of the circumstances that led to the brief restriction,” Krishnan said.
He noted that while Meta had expressed regret over the incident and submitted a preliminary explanation, the Centre was seeking a more detailed clarification, including the safeguards being implemented to prevent a recurrence.
“Meta has already conveyed its regret over the incident and provided a preliminary explanation to the government. However, the Centre has sought a more detailed clarification, including the measures the company is putting in place to ensure such incidents do not recur,” Krishnan said.
The development comes a day after the government summoned a senior Meta executive following the temporary restriction on the Prime Minister’s Facebook post.
The post, published on July 23, addressed India’s youth and reiterated the government’s commitment to taking strict action against examination paper leaks, including those related to the NEET examination.
Although Meta attributed the incident to a technical glitch and issued an apology, the government maintained that the explanation provided so far was inadequate and warranted further scrutiny.
According to Krishnan, Meta has informed the government that it introduced a new protocol from July 28 aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
The updated process includes additional oversight for content posted by the Prime Minister and other high-profile accounts, with the company seeking to strengthen safeguards against inadvertent restrictions.
(With IANS inputs)
