Meta Platforms has issued a formal apology to the Indian government following an incident last month where a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly restricted on Facebook. Joel Kaplan, the company’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, confirmed that the restriction was the result of an accidental operational error. This explanation was provided to India’s information technology minister after executives were summoned to address the situation, which occurred amidst a period of heightened sensitivity surrounding online content related to the Prime Minister.

The situation is further complicated by ongoing tensions between the tech giant and Indian authorities. Reports indicate that police in Hyderabad recently opened a case against Meta’s India head regarding allegedly abusive videos of the Prime Minister that circulated during recent youth-led protests. Furthermore, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly offered apologies to Indian officials regarding broader concerns, including the presence of deepfake content and child sexual abuse material on Meta's platforms. While the company maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding such illegal material, these high-profile incidents highlight the growing friction between Meta and the government over platform regulation and content moderation.