Meta has apologised after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s selfie-style video addressing Gen Z was briefly restricted on Facebook in India before being restored within hours, according to media reports. The company has not yet issued a detailed explanation of the legal request that triggered the temporary restriction.
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Users attempting to view the video early on Tuesday were shown a notice stating that the content had been withheld in India in response to a legal request. The restriction was later lifted, restoring access to the video on the platform.
The “See Why” option on the video indicated around 1:25 am on Tuesday that it had been restricted in India in compliance with a legal request. BJP leader Tajinder Bagga also claimed on X that the video had been blocked and questioned the basis for the restriction.
PM Modi’s Outreach To Gen Z
The video forms part of a series of three selfie-style, vertical videos released by the Prime Minister over 72 hours to engage directly with Gen Z. In the first video, he spoke about the government’s response to examination paper leaks, including the arrest of those accused, measures to ensure students did not lose an academic year, and plans to strengthen the legal framework.
In subsequent videos, the Prime Minister thanked young people for their response to the campaign and announced additional steps to reform the examination system. These included the proposed establishment of fast-track courts for paper-leak cases and the formation of a high-powered task force, headed by technology expert Nandan Nilekani, to improve the transparency and reliability of public examinations.
The address had attracted millions of views before it was briefly restricted on Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday. The video was restored within hours and remains available on the platform.
