Meta apologises after PM Modi's video got blocked, cites technical glitch

Meta has issued an official apology to the Indian government after a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly restricted on Facebook in India. The company attributed the temporary removal to a technical glitch and confirmed that the content was removed in error and has since been fully restored. Prior to its restoration, Indian users attempting to view the video were displayed a notice stating that the content had been withheld in the region in response to a legal request.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is treating the incident with high severity and has summoned global heads from Meta and Instagram to provide a detailed explanation. Government officials are examining the technical circumstances and explanation provided by the company regarding how the video was restricted. The address had already accumulated millions of views before access was temporarily interrupted during the early hours of Tuesday.

The video, originally uploaded on July 23, contained PM Modi's address to Gen Z students regarding measures against examination paper leaks. In the message, the Prime Minister assured students that the Union Cabinet would review a draft law proposing strict penalties and special fast-track courts for paper leak offenses. He emphasized that the administration acted to protect the academic year of nearly 22 lakh students, stating that youth welfare remains a top priority.