Meta has acknowledged that a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi was mistakenly removed from Facebook and has since been restored. The company stated that the removal was an error and confirmed that the content is once again available on the platform. The incident has drawn the attention of the Indian government, which is examining the circumstances surrounding the temporary restriction.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson said, "The content was removed in error and has since been restored." The clarification came after users reported that the Prime Minister's video was unavailable on Facebook, displaying a message stating that the post was not accessible in India and that the attached media had been restricted due to a legal request.
According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is treating the matter seriously and has sought an explanation from Meta regarding the incident. Officials are reviewing the company's response and the processes that resulted in the temporary removal. Reports also indicated that Meta representatives, along with Instagram officials, may be required to explain the circumstances surrounding the action.
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The video, originally uploaded on July 23, featured Prime Minister Modi addressing Generation Z during the student protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). In the address, he said the government would introduce a bill in Parliament containing stricter provisions to combat examination paper leaks. Before it became temporarily unavailable, the video had attracted millions of views on Facebook.
In his message, the Prime Minister acknowledged the concerns of students and parents affected by alleged examination paper leaks, describing the issue as deeply distressing. He said the government had already taken several steps following allegations surrounding the NEET examination and reiterated its commitment to introducing stronger legal measures to prevent future paper leak incidents.
Meta has not provided additional details on what caused the erroneous removal or whether any changes have been made to prevent similar incidents in the future. The restored video remains available on Facebook, while the government continues to examine the episode and assess whether any further action or clarification from the company is required.
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