Meta has officially apologised to the Government of India

Meta has officially apologised to the Government of India following intense regulatory pressure over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video.

A high-level Meta delegation, led by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan, met with Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S. Krishnan to convey the company's regret.

The Latest Developments

• Official Apology Delivered: Joel Kaplan stated, "I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi's post," confirming that the company is actively seeking to de-escalate the standoff. 
• Zuckerberg's Acknowledgment: Media reports indicate that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also broadly apologised to the Indian government regarding the operational lapses, alongside other pressing safety failures on the platform. 
• Broader Lapses Addressed: During the crucial meetings, the government heavily grilled Meta on algorithmic bias and platform safety. Meta expressed regret over the presence of deepfakes and failures highlighted by a BBC investigation regarding Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) ads running on Instagram. 
• Political Reactions: Following the meetings, BJP MPs including panel chairman Nishikant Dubey and Kangana Ranaut welcomed the apology. Dubey called it a victory for the law and the Indian Parliament, reiterating that tech giants must strictly adhere to domestic regulations if they want to operate in India. 

What Happens Next?

The Parliamentary Committee has still directed Meta to submit a comprehensive written response within 10 days to fully explain their content moderation algorithms and ensure robust safeguards for verified public accounts are implemented.