New Delhi: The Central government has summoned senior officials of Meta after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly removed from the social media platform, raising concerns over the company's content moderation practices.

The incident involved a post from the Prime Minister's official Facebook account, which was temporarily taken down before being restored. Meta later admitted that the removal was accidental and attributed it to an error in its automated content moderation system. The company apologized for the mistake and said the content was reinstated as soon as the issue was identified.

Despite the apology, government officials expressed dissatisfaction with Meta's explanation, describing it as inadequate. Sources indicated that the Centre considers the matter serious and has sought a detailed clarification from the company on how such an error occurred on the verified account of the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reportedly called Meta representatives for discussions to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials are expected to seek assurances that similar errors will not recur, particularly in relation to official government communications.

According to government sources, the issue is not closed and further engagement with Meta will continue until the company provides a satisfactory explanation. The Centre is also expected to review whether existing safeguards within the platform are sufficient to prevent erroneous removal of content posted by high-profile public figures and government institutions.

Meta reiterated that the incident was unintentional and resulted from a technical error rather than any deliberate action. The company stated that it remains committed to improving the accuracy of its moderation systems and maintaining the integrity of public communications on its platform.

The episode has reignited discussions about the transparency and accountability of automated content moderation employed by global technology companies. Experts note that while artificial intelligence helps platforms manage vast volumes of content, occasional errors can affect even verified accounts, highlighting the need for stronger oversight and quicker corrective mechanisms.

The government's response signals its expectation that digital platforms exercise greater caution when handling official communications. The outcome of the discussions with Meta may influence future protocols governing content moderation and the responsibilities of social media companies operating in India.

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