Top Meta executive Joel Kaplan summoned over PM Modi post removal

The government has asked Meta's global affairs chief to appear in person after the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video, citing concerns over content moderation

The government has summoned Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Joel Kaplan, to appear in person and explain the company’s content moderation policies, including the arbitrary removal of a video uploaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Kaplan, who assumed the role in January 2025, was issued the summons on Tuesday after Meta’s explanation for taking down the  post, in which Modi addressed protesting students on measures the Centre was taking to curb examination paper leaks. 

Meta said in a statement that the post was removed due to a glitch in its automated content moderation systems, and was subsequently restored. “The content was removed in error and has since been restored,” a company spokesperson said. An email seeking Meta’s response to the summons did not elicit a response. 

Separately, the Parliamentary panel on Communications and IT, summoned senior executives at Meta, X, Snapchat and Google to appear before it on August 3. 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, has summoned the executives to appear at 4 pm to explain how their platforms implement policies to safeguard the digital privacy of women, children and other users. 

In a post on X, Dubey said the committee would also question the companies on how they ensure compliance with government blocking orders. 

The committee, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, has summoned from Meta, X, Snapchat and Google to explain how their platforms implement policies to safeguard the digital privacy of women, children and other users. 

In a post on X, Dubey said the committee would also question the companies on how they ensure compliance with government blocking orders. 

Meta has come under increased government scrutiny in recent weeks on multiple issues. Earlier this month, the government asked the company not to roll out its username feature until concerns over potential misuse, including impersonation, fraud and online scams, were addressed. 

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) Secretary S Krishnan had warned that the username feature offered by WhatsApp and other peer-to-peer messaging platforms carried “serious” risks of impersonation and cybercrime. “We have taken up the issue of usernames because there is a serious possibility of impersonation and the kind of encouragement or facility it provides for committing more cybercrimes. It is a very serious issue,” he said. 

Days after WhatsApp responded to the government’s notice, Meity again summoned senior Meta executives following reports that Instagram had carried advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). 

WhatsApp and Meta have submitted their responses to the ministry, which are being examined and legally vetted by senior government officials.