Police in Hyderabad, India, have filed a case against Arun Srinivas, the head of Meta India, over multiple videos on Facebook that portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an offensive light, according to a senior police official on Friday. The videos circulated amid ongoing protests driven by youth over leaked exam papers, which have prompted the resignation of Modi’s education minister. Hyderabad’s cyber crimes deputy commissioner, V Aravind Babu, said authorities are preparing to serve a notice to Meta Platforms regarding the matter. Meta has yet to respond to a Reuters inquiry.
It remains unclear why Srinivas was individually named, which is unusual targeting for a senior executive of a global technology company. India recently implemented stricter content regulations, reducing legal protections for social media platforms and increasing the liability of their executives. Since February, online platforms are required to delete illegal content within three hours of notification from authorities, a significant contraction from the previous 36-hour window, risking loss of legal immunity.
Expert Akash Karmakar from Indian law firm Panag & Babu explained that holding individuals responsible typically demands evidence of an active role and awareness of wrongdoing. Meta has faced repeated criticism from the Indian government over user-shared content, with allegations that it inadequately moderates hate speech and misinformation on Facebook and Instagram.
This legal action adds to existing tensions between Meta and India’s government, especially concerning content related to Prime Minister Modi. Recently, Modi has been the subject of numerous online jokes and critical posts. The IT Ministry summoned Meta executives earlier this week after Facebook temporarily restricted a Modi post addressing student protests, with officials demanding an explanation at the highest level. Meta stated the restriction was accidental.
India is the largest global market for Facebook, with Srinivas serving as Meta’s Managing Director and Head for India since July 2025. The case is among several filed based on complaints from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party supporters, alleging that altered videos and images of the prime minister are circulating on Meta’s platforms like Facebook and Instagram.















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