iWorld
Parliamentary panel summons Meta, Google, X, Snapchat over social media regulation
Tech firms to appear before MPs on August 3 amid scrutiny of privacy and public order
New Delhi: Social media giants Meta, Google, X and Snapchat have been summoned by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology to appear on August 3 as lawmakers intensify scrutiny of digital platforms following nationwide protests organised through social media.
The panel has called representatives from Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, along with Google, X and Snapchat, to discuss the regulation of social and digital platforms. Officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Home Affairs have also been asked to attend the meeting.
According to the notice issued by the committee, the agenda includes a briefing by government officials and representatives of the major technology platforms on the subject of “Social and digital platforms and their regulation”. The discussions are expected to focus on user safety, privacy protections and the role of online platforms in maintaining public order.
Committee chair and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the companies have been asked to explain how they safeguard the privacy of women, children, farmers, rural communities, labourers and the wider public, while also ensuring compliance with government requirements relating to public order.
In a post on X, Dubey said the companies would be questioned on the measures they have put in place to protect users and address concerns arising from the rapid spread of content on digital platforms.
The meeting comes in the wake of the 36-day protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which extensively used Instagram and other social media platforms to mobilise supporters, share videos, livestream demonstrations and coordinate participation in protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak and related issues.
The agitation concluded on July 25 after the government accepted key demands of the protesters and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post.
The parliamentary hearing is expected to examine the broader responsibilities of social media companies as regulators and lawmakers continue to debate how digital platforms should balance user privacy, content moderation and public accountability in India.
