'Apologise in 3 days or lose safe harbour': BJP MP's warning to Meta

Meta briefly blocked access to PM Narendra Modi's July 23 video before restoring it; the address to GenZ came amid protests over the alleged Neet-UG 2026 paper leak

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday said Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg must apologise within three days over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video from Facebook, warning that the company could lose the legal immunity available to intermediaries under the Information Technology (IT) Act.

 

"Mark Zuckerberg must apologise within three days. If he fails to do so, we will revoke the 'safe harbour' protection currently provided to social media platforms, a privilege that they have been misusing," Dubey said.

 

He further added, "Once that protection is removed, any complaints related to abusive content, threats, violence, or other unlawful material posted on these platforms could lead to FIRs being filed directly against Meta chief. There would be a flood of FIRs across the country, and those responsible could face legal action."

 

 

Dubey's remarks came after the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, which he heads, wrote to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) raising concerns over the removal of a video featuring the Prime Minister. According to the committee, the video, in which PM Modi addressed students on examination controversies and paper leaks, remained unavailable on Facebook for around five to six hours.

 

The committee's letter said Meta should issue an unconditional apology within three days of receiving the communication.

 

"During the deliberations, the committee demanded an apology from Mark Zuckerberg, Meta chief, on this issue. If he fails to tender an unqualified apology within three days of receipt of this letter, the protection/immunity given under Section 79(3) of IT Act may be withdrawn and action taken against him as a Publisher," the letter stated.

 

The communication was sent two days after the committee met representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Electronics and Information Technology, along with executives from Snapchat, Google, X, Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram), and YouTube to discuss the regulation of social and digital platforms.

 

Meta had restricted access to the Prime Minister's video last month before restoring it. Released on July 23, the video was PM Modi's first direct address to GenZ protestors during protests over the alleged Neet-UG 2026 paper leak.

 

Not the first time, says Dubey

 

Speaking after Monday's meeting, Dubey alleged that this was not the first instance of Meta removing content related to the Prime Minister.

 

"This is not the first time Meta India has done this. If you recall, Zuckerberg himself made a statement in January regarding the 2024 elections and later apologised. This shows that his intention is to destabilise the country. When a video of the Prime Minister of India can be removed, and they themselves admitted that the content was missing for five hours, from 12:30 am to 5:00 am, this is a very serious matter," he said.

 

"Our committee has said two things and has clearly stated that the apology should come from Zuckerberg. If Zuckerberg does not give it, then the safe harbour protection under Section 79 should be withdrawn from him," he added.

 

What is safe harbour?

 

Safe harbour is the legal protection available to online intermediaries for content posted by users, provided they comply with the obligations laid down under the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules.

 

To retain this protection, social media platforms are required to act against prohibited content, including misinformation, patently false information and deepfakes, within the framework prescribed by law.

 

Failure to meet these obligations can lead to the loss of safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, exposing platforms to greater legal liability for content hosted on their services.

 

(With agency inputs)