Chandigarh | Updated: July 28, 2026
Meta has apologised after a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official Facebook account was briefly removed from public view.
The social media company said the video was taken down due to a technical error and not because of an intentional moderation decision.
Meta restored the video on Tuesday and acknowledged that it had been removed mistakenly.
Government sources said the Centre has taken the matter seriously and the global heads of Meta and Instagram were summoned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
However, the ministry has not issued any official statement on the incident so far.
The controversy began in the early hours of Tuesday when users found that PM Modi’s video was unavailable on Facebook.
The video was the Prime Minister’s first direct address to Generation Z amid the ongoing CJP-led student protests.
During the brief period when the video was inaccessible, some users reportedly saw a message stating that the content was unavailable in India due to a legal request.
This led to widespread speculation on social media.
Meta later restored the video and clarified that the removal was caused by an internal technical glitch.
The company said it was not due to any government directive or content moderation decision.
“The video was mistakenly removed due to a technical error. We have restored the content and regret the inconvenience caused,” Meta said in its statement.
Screenshots of the restriction notice circulated widely on social media before the video reappeared on the platform.
The video had drawn major public attention after Prime Minister Modi addressed young Indians on concerns over examination paper leaks.
He also outlined the government’s response to the issue.
Earlier, the Prime Minister thanked young people for the overwhelming response to the video.
According to official broadcaster Akashvani News, the address crossed 303 million views within 24 hours, making it one of Modi’s most widely viewed social media posts.
The incident comes at a time when social media platforms are facing increased scrutiny in India over content moderation practices and compliance with local regulations.
While Meta has described the removal as an inadvertent technical error, government sources said authorities are expected to seek a detailed explanation from the company.
The explanation is likely to focus on how the Prime Minister’s official content was briefly restricted on the platform.
