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    EYE ON INDIA                                                          AUGUST 14, 2026      |  The Indian Eye                    8

              Meta versus Modi Sparks a Battle

                      for India’s Digital Sovereignty

            The controversy over Meta’s removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video has evolved into a larger debate
              about platform accountability, digital regulation and the balance between free expression and corporate responsibility.

            OUR BUREAU
            New Delhi

                  he  temporary  removal  of  Prime  Minister
                  Narendra Modi’s Facebook video may have
            Tbegun as what Meta described as a “techni-
            cal error,” but the political and regulatory conse-
            quences have been anything but accidental. Within
            days, the incident had escalated into a confrontation
            involving Parliament, the Union government, the
            world’s largest social media company and India’s
            opposition parties. The controversy has once again
            highlighted a question that governments around the
            world continue to grapple with: who ultimately gov-
            erns the digital public square?
                At the heart of the dispute lies more than a
            missing video. It is about the growing power of tech-
            nology companies, the limits of their legal protec-
            tions and the increasingly assertive stance that India
            is adopting towards global digital platforms.  Meta officials leave from the office of Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, as the meet-
                The sequence of events has been rapid. Fol-                       ing concludes, in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI Video Grab)
            lowing the temporary removal of the Prime Minis-
            ter’s Facebook video on action against examination   The issue extends beyond a single political lead-  recognising India’s regulatory authority.
            paper leaks, Meta sent a senior delegation led by   er or political party.                    Yet it is worth separating political rhetoric
            Chief  Global  Affairs  Officer  Joel  Kaplan  to  New   Digital  platforms  today  influence  elections,   from the underlying policy questions.
            Delhi. According to government sources, Meta   public  opinion,  emergency  communication,  public   The  concerns regarding  child  sexual abuse
            CEO Mark Zuckerberg subsequently apologised   health campaigns and national security. Their de-  material and deepfake content are genuine and
            over the incident as well as concerns relating to   cisions—whether made by human moderators or   extend far beyond partisan politics. Governments
            child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake con-  automated algorithms—can affect millions of users   worldwide have intensified pressure on technology
            tent and operational shortcomings on the platform.  within minutes. As these platforms acquire great-  companies to remove illegal content more quickly,
                The Parliamentary Standing Committee on   er  societal  influence,  governments  naturally  seek   strengthen verification systems and improve trans-
            Communications and Information Technology,    greater accountability.                      parency regarding algorithmic recommendations.
            chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, treated the   However, regulation is rarely straightforward.  Deepfakes, in particular, have emerged as
            issue as more than a simple operational error. It   Excessive government intervention raises legit-  one of the most serious challenges confronting de-
            warned that Meta’s legal protections under India’s   imate concerns about freedom of expression, edito-  mocracies. Advances in artificial intelligence have
            Information  Technology  Act  could  come  under   rial independence and the possibility of political in-  made manipulated videos increasingly difficult to
            scrutiny if the company failed to demonstrate great-  fluence over digital platforms. Too little regulation,   detect, raising concerns about misinformation,
            er accountability.                            meanwhile, risks allowing misinformation, harmful   electoral integrity and reputational harm.
                Dubey described Zuckerberg’s reported apolo-  content, deepfakes and illegal material to spread   Similarly,  child  sexual  exploitation  materi-
            gy as a victory for India’s Constitution, Parliament   unchecked.                          al represents an area where governments expect
            and legal framework, arguing that companies oper-  Finding the appropriate balance remains one of   platforms to demonstrate zero tolerance through
            ating in India must comply fully with Indian laws. The   the defining governance challenges of the digital age.  robust detection and removal systems.
            message from the government side was clear: India’s   The Meta controversy has also inevitably en-  Viewed through this broader lens, India’s scru-
            enormous digital market cannot be taken for granted.  tered India’s political arena.       tiny of Meta forms part of an international regula-
                The government’s position also reflects a broad-  Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal   tory shift rather than an isolated national dispute.
            er global trend.                              accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using   The stakes are especially high because India
                Government sources have reportedly argued   legislation to shield himself from criticism, alleging   represents one of Meta’s largest global markets.
            that  Meta  does  more  than  merely  host  content.   that the government was increasingly treating its   With hundreds of millions of users across Face-
            By  determining  which  users  receive  specific  posts   own citizens as political adversaries. He linked the   book, Instagram  and WhatsApp, the country is
            through algorithmic recommendation systems, the   controversy to wider public dissatisfaction over is-  central to the company’s long-term business strat-
            platform performs functions beyond those of a pas-  sues such as examination paper leaks and the rollout   egy. At the same time, India’s rapidly expanding
            sive intermediary. If regulators ultimately conclude   of E20 fuel.                        digital economy gives New Delhi considerable
            that such companies actively curate and amplify con-  The BJP, unsurprisingly, has rejected such   leverage in shaping the rules governing technology
            tent, the scope of “safe harbour” protections under   criticism, presenting the episode as evidence that   companies.
            Indian law could face renewed legal examination.  multinational  technology  companies  are  finally   Neither side can afford prolonged confrontation.

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