Intention is to destabilise country: Nishikant Dubey seeks Zuckerberg’s apology over restricting PM’s Facebook post
Opposition members push back against the BJP MP’s line of questioning, arguing that “anti-government” content cannot be equated with “anti-national” content.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology chairperson Nishikant Dubey demanded an apology from Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post. Dubey alleged that such actions reflect a pattern of conduct by Meta, questioning the company's handling of content on its platforms.
He highlighted that Meta had previously apologized for a similar incident in January, where Zuckerberg had referred to Modi's loss in the 2024 election, despite Modi still being the Prime Minister. Dubey emphasized the importance of fixing accountability in such instances, warning Meta of potential action if it was not addressed.
The committee questioned Meta representatives about alleged "algorithm bias" that allowed objectionable content to circulate while restricting Modi's post, which was missing for five hours between 12.30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Opposition members argued against political influence on content moderation decisions, maintaining that criticizing the government should not be equated with anti-national content.
Dubey demanded that Zuckerberg provide a complete audit trail of the post, from "report to restoration," and seek clarity on whether social media companies are publishers or intermediaries.
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