Meta says “technical glitch” led to PM Modi’s Facebook video being blocked in India

Meta has apologised after a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily blocked on Facebook in India. The company said the restriction happened because of a technical glitch and that the video has now been restored. Also Read: Instagram and Facebook down AGAIN! Thousands face outage Worldwide

“The content was removed in error and has since been restored,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement, according to ANI. Also Read: Instagram and Facebook hosted AI 'Nudify' ads despite policy ban: Report

The incident has drawn the attention of the government, with reports suggesting that officials are examining both Meta’s explanation and the circumstances that led to the video’s temporary removal. Also Read: Facebook rolls out Marketplace Seller app, free verification and new video experience

Government seeks explanation from Meta

According to sources cited by IANS, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken the matter seriously and summoned Meta and Instagram’s global heads over the incident.

The government is expected to seek a detailed explanation on how a video shared by the Prime Minister was briefly restricted on Facebook. Sources also said Meta representatives and concerned officials could be asked to explain the sequence of events that resulted in the video being taken down.

Before it was restored, users trying to access the post in India were shown a message stating that the content had been withheld in the region following a legal request. The video later became available again after Meta said the restriction had been applied by mistake.

Meta releases a statement on blocking PM Modi's video on Facebook.

"The content was removed in error and has since been restored." says a Meta Spokesperson. pic.twitter.com/SZ082SY5kw

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2026

What the video was about

The video was uploaded on July 23 and featured Prime Minister Modi addressing Gen Z during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protests.

In his message, the Prime Minister said the government would introduce stronger measures to tackle examination paper leaks. He said a draft law proposing stricter punishment for those involved in paper leak cases, along with provisions for special courts, would be placed before the Union Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament.

Modi also said directions had already been issued to establish Fast-Track Courts for such cases. He added that the government had ensured the academic year of nearly 22 lakh students was not disrupted and said the welfare and future of young people remained a priority.

The video had already received millions of views before it was briefly blocked on Facebook during the early hours of Tuesday.

Video linked to government’s outreach

The address was seen as part of the government’s outreach to students and younger audiences while the protests were taking place in Delhi. During the demonstrations, protesters had raised concerns over examination irregularities and demanded action from the government.

According to reports, the government later accepted three major demands, including compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide over alleged exam irregularities, withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases filed against students, and the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Pradhan resigned on Saturday, following which the CJP announced the end of its protest in Delhi.

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Reports also suggested that Prime Minister Modi had asked the government to use platforms such as Instagram to connect with Gen Z. His videos on Facebook and Instagram are considered part of that digital outreach, making the temporary restriction of the post a matter that quickly drew public and government attention.