Meta India Head Named in Case Over Modi Videos
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- Arun Srinivas, head of Meta India, was named in a criminal case registered by Hyderabad police on July 31 over Facebook videos depicting PM Modi "in an abusive manner," a senior police officer said.
- Deputy Commissioner of Police for cyber crimes V. Aravind Babu said authorities are preparing to send a formal notice to Meta Platforms; Meta said it is "in touch with the concerned agencies and cooperating."
- India's tightened 2026 content rules require platforms to remove flagged unlawful material within 3 hours, down from 36, or lose liability protection — sharpening the personal exposure of executives like Srinivas.
- India's IT ministry summoned Meta executives this week after Facebook briefly restricted a Modi post addressing student protests over leaked exam papers that forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation; Meta called the block inadvertent.
- Akash Karmakar, technology law partner at Indian firm Panag & Babu, said holding a senior executive personally responsible normally requires proof of "an active role and knowledge."
- India is Facebook's largest market by users; Srinivas has served as Meta's India managing director and head since July 2025.
- Local media reported several similar cases were filed after BJP supporters alleged manipulated Modi videos and images were being circulated on Facebook and Instagram.
Why it matters: Meta's India chief now faces personal criminal liability — a move the source calls rare — in Facebook's largest user market, where New Delhi is already pressing the company over political posts. India's tightened 2026 rules, including a 3-hour takedown deadline that replaces the prior 36-hour window, have narrowed the legal shield that once insulated global platform executives in the country.
