Meta – Kejriwal Questions Restriction of Social Media Account in India
Meta –Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that his social media account had been restricted for users in India, raising questions over Meta’s handling of the issue. He said the company had not shared any explanation for the restriction despite repeated attempts to seek clarification.
Kejriwal stated through a post on X that after contacting Meta’s India office, he was informed that his account had indeed been restricted and was not accessible within the country. He claimed that company representatives did not specify the reason behind the action or provide any guidance on how the restriction could be removed. According to him, emails sent to the company received only automated acknowledgements without any meaningful response.
Kejriwal Shares Screenshot, Criticises Meta
To support his claim, Kejriwal posted a screenshot showing his account status with the message “Unavailable in some locations.” Referring to Meta’s handling of the matter, he described the company’s customer support as inadequate and expressed disappointment over the lack of transparency. He also criticised the Central government, alleging that technology companies were under pressure and suggesting they should operate independently without political influence.
At the time of publication, Meta had not issued any official statement responding to Kejriwal’s allegations regarding the reported restriction of his account.
Meta Faces Increased Regulatory Attention
The controversy comes as Meta remains under close examination in India over multiple issues involving content moderation and platform governance. According to ANI, citing official sources, the company has acknowledged that advertisements connected to Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) were promoted on its platform and targeted toward a specific audience. Sources indicated that Meta is expected to face additional questioning as authorities continue their review of the matter.
Officials familiar with the developments also claimed that Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg conveyed an apology to the Indian government over concerns related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), deepfake content and certain operational shortcomings affecting the platform.
Government Raises Safe Harbour Concerns
According to the same sources, government officials informed Meta that its role in selecting and distributing content could affect its legal protections under India’s Information Technology Act. They reportedly stated that the company may not qualify for intermediary protections if it exercises editorial control over content distribution, potentially impacting the applicability of safe harbour provisions.
These remarks have added to the ongoing debate over the responsibilities of large social media platforms in monitoring and managing online content while complying with Indian regulations.
Meeting Held With Electronics Ministry
On Wednesday, a senior Meta delegation headed by Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan met Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S. Krishnan. The discussion, which reportedly lasted around 45 minutes, focused on several issues, including the mistaken removal of a Facebook video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the meeting, Meta representatives explained the circumstances that led to the video being taken down and outlined the company’s response after identifying the technical error.
Parliamentary Panel Seeks Apology
The meeting followed criticism from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, which called for an unconditional apology from Zuckerberg over the removal of the Prime Minister’s video. Members of the committee warned that repeated lapses could have consequences for the company’s legal protections in India.
Committee chairperson and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had earlier stated that Meta admitted the Prime Minister’s video remained unavailable for more than four hours. He also said that if an apology was not issued, the company should face reconsideration of the safe harbour protection available under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
Meta had previously clarified that the video discussing action against examination paper leaks was removed because of a technical issue and was restored after the problem was identified.