INDIA 🔗 Part of: Indian Government Actions and Policy Developments (23) · 04 Aug 2026 · 09:38 GMT ·2 min read

Parliamentary IT Panel Chief Alleges Meta Algorithm Bias, Seeks Zuckerberg Apology

Nishikant Dubey, chair of India's parliamentary IT committee, accused social media firms of using algorithms to favor fringe groups over established parties.

NEUTRALITY 74 · BALANCED· 3 sources

Hindustan Times India

Nishikant Dubey, chair of India's parliamentary IT committee, accused social media firms of using algorithms to favor fringe groups over established parties. Dubey cited data showing these groups reached 27 million viewers, while major parties saw 23-24 million. The committee demanded a personal apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video. Meta apologized, citing a technical error, but the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) deemed the explanation inadequate.

Context

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology increased its oversight of major social media platforms. The committee now reviews algorithmic transparency and content moderation practices.

Supportive perspectives

Nishikant Dubey, the committee chief, alleged that social media algorithms prioritize unrecognized street groups over established political parties. Dubey stated that major political parties reach between 23 million and 24 million viewers. He reported that unrecognized groups reach 27 million viewers.
The committee reported that an anti-reservation forum gained 7 million followers over 6 days. The satirical campaign "Cockroach Janta Party" reached 6.6 million Instagram followers shortly after its launch.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) rejected Meta's explanation for removing a video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Ministry called the company's claim of a technical error inadequate.
Telangana Chief Minister announced that the state filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Meta India. Notably, he belongs to India's major opposition party. The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police opened a case against Meta India head Arun Srinivas. Authorities allege the content contains morphed, AI-generated images of the Prime Minister.

Critical perspectives

Meta representatives stated that a technical error caused the removal of the Prime Minister's video. The content remained unavailable on Facebook for five hours, from 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM.
Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey warned that Meta risks losing its safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This provision shields digital platforms from legal liability for content posted by third parties.
Representatives from Meta, Google, YouTube, X, and Snapchat joined officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) at a parliamentary committee meeting. In the current political climate, both ruling and opposition parties appear united in targeting social media freedom in India.
The committee reported that digital platforms repeatedly failed to remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and content targeting women.