meta Two reels posted by the Indian National Congress (INC) on Facebook and Instagram have been deleted after receiving a content takedown notice from the Delhi Police. The AI-generated video allegedly showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani Group chief Gautam Adani. The company reportedly received a notice on December 18th and restricted access to two reels in India on the same day. Content posted from INC's verified accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
In a submission to Lumen, Mehta said the Delhi Police had invoked the provisions of Section 66C of the India Act, 2023, in addition to Section 79(3)(b) of the India Act, 2023 and Section 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules.
“The risks of failure to comply with the notice were the loss of safety zones for certain items and possible criminal penalties against Meta's local employees,” the company said in Lumen's filing, referring to the protection of intermediaries under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The company also said it has notified affected users of the action.
Meta noted in Lumen's filing that Reel did not violate community standards. A Meta spokesperson said the content was restricted “once we receive a valid blocking order” from law enforcement.
The Platform will remove content that violates its own community standards or local laws. In this case, Mehta took action considering the legal obligations attached to the Delhi Police notice and the risk of losing safe harbor protection.
