Meta India Chief Faces Case Over Videos Mocking Modi on Facebook and Instagram

Meta India chief booked over videos mocking Modi on Facebook and Instagram

July 31

India's cyber police have filed a case against Meta India's top executive Arun Srinivas over videos mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi circulating on Facebook, authorities said.

The development coincides with intensifying youth-led protests triggered by a leaked exam question paper that forced the education minister to resign. While the cyber police are preparing to send a notice to parent company Meta, the company has not yet issued any response.

Although it is rare for top executives of a major international tech company to be personally prosecuted, the Indian government has tightened online content regulations this year, and the legal shield protecting platform companies from liability for user-posted content has also narrowed.

If the government or a court notifies unlawful content, platforms must remove it within 36 hours — now reduced to a strict 3-hour window — and failure to comply will hold both the company and responsible individuals accountable.

Tech law expert Akash Kamarka pointed out that to prosecute an individual personally, one must prove direct involvement in or knowledge of the offense.

India is Meta's largest user market, and Meta's operations — including those under Arun Srinivas, who took charge in July 2025 — have frequently drawn criticism for failing to effectively curb hate speech and misinformation, as well as friction with the Indian government.

Local media reported that the case against Srinivas is one of several complaints filed by supporters of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that manipulated videos and photos of Modi are being distributed on Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Additionally, India's Ministry of Information and Technology summoned Meta executives after Facebook temporarily restricted one of Modi's posts related to student protests.

Ref & Photo; Reuters

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