Meta mistakenly removes Indian PM Modi's video, then apologizes
Meta removed a video posted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that announced a task force to reform university entrance exams. The video followed the cancellation of entrance exams amid allegations that exam questions had leaked, which had sparked youth protests across India. It was among Modi's first posts after he began using Instagram reels, including an inaugural selfie-style reel. Meta initially replaced the video with a notice citing a legal complaint. S. Krishnan, secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said he asked Meta to come in at the highest level and explain what had happened and why, adding that the ministry wanted both a policy-level and a technical-level understanding of the issue. Meta subsequently acknowledged the removal was an error, apologized, restored the video, and said it introduced new protocols for moderating accounts belonging to prominent figures. Krishnan said Meta had written to the ministry expressing regret and committing to prevent similar incidents.
Key facts
- Meta removed a video posted by Indian PM Narendra Modi that announced a task force to reform university entrance exams, replacing it with a notice citing a legal complaint.
- The video followed cancellations of entrance exams over allegations of leaked questions, which triggered youth protests in India.
- S. Krishnan, secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said he asked Meta to explain the incident at the highest level, both at a policy and a technical level.
- Meta apologized, restored the video, and said it introduced new protocols for moderating accounts of prominent figures.
- Krishnan said Meta had written to the ministry expressing regret and committing to prevent a repeat.
Why it matters
The takedown shows that even a sitting head of government is not immune to a platform's automated or complaint-driven moderation systems misfiring. Meta pulling video from a prime minister's own account, over a legal complaint it later called mistaken, turned an internal moderation error into a diplomatic incident with a national government.
Who it affects
Meta and its content moderation operation in India; the Indian government, which pressed for an explanation at ministerial level; and, more broadly, other heads of state and public figures whose official accounts rely on the same moderation pipeline that misfired here.
How to use it
Meta says it has introduced new protocols specifically for moderating accounts belonging to prominent figures, meaning high-profile political accounts should now get an extra layer of review before a takedown triggered by a legal complaint goes live. For government or public-figure communications teams, the episode is a reminder that a single complaint can still trigger removal even for a top official's post.
How solid is it
The account rests on a named, on-the-record source, S. Krishnan, secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, describing both the government's demand for an explanation and Meta's written apology. There is no directly quoted statement from Meta itself in the reporting, only Krishnan's characterization of what Meta communicated.
Risks and caveats
The reporting does not specify what the underlying legal complaint alleged or who filed it, nor does it detail exactly what the new moderation protocols for prominent accounts involve. The account of Meta's apology and commitments comes secondhand through the ministry rather than from a Meta statement quoted directly.
“We want to have both a policy level understanding and a technical understanding of the issues.”
— S. Krishnan, secretary, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology