Modi’s Gen Z Video Restricted on Facebook in India; Govt May Summon Meta Officials
Access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first selfie-style video addressing Gen Z was briefly restricted on Facebook in India in the early hours of Tuesday. Users in the country encountered a message stating that the attached media was unavailable in their region “due to a legal request,” with no further details provided on the authority or specific provision behind the action.
The video, posted by the Prime Minister and widely viewed for its direct outreach during recent student-related developments, had already drawn millions of views and significant engagement. It remained available on Instagram, Meta’s sister platform, where it continued to circulate widely. Subsequent posts from the Prime Minister’s account were unaffected.
Within hours, access was restored. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that “the content was removed in error and has since been restored.” Sources later indicated the restriction resulted from a technical glitch on the platform rather than any intentional or legally mandated removal.
Meta has apologised for the episode. The Modi government is taking the matter very seriously, with sources saying Meta officials may be summoned to explain the incident.
IT Ministry sources had earlier clarified that the post was never formally blocked by Facebook and remained live, attributing reports of restricted access to a temporary technical issue.
