Meta India head named in case over Facebook videos targeting Modi

Police in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad registered a case on Friday against the head of Meta India over multiple Facebook videos that depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an "abusive manner," a senior police officer said.

Police are preparing to send Meta Platforms a formal notice over the case. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why was Meta India's head named in the case?

Hyderabad police registered the case after Facebook videos depicted Modi in an abusive manner, according to V Aravind Babu, deputy commissioner of police for cyber crimes.

Police are preparing a notice for Meta Platforms, though it had not been issued as of Friday. Meta has not commented on the case.

How does this fit into Meta's tensions with India's government?

The case adds to a string of tensions between Meta and Modi's government over content tied to the prime minister. India's IT ministry summoned Meta executives this week after Facebook briefly restricted a Modi post last week.

A top official said the government wanted Meta to explain the matter at the highest level.

A Meta spokesperson said at the time that the post, Modi's first addressing the massive student protests that forced the resignation of the education minister, had been blocked inadvertently.

Modi has also faced a barrage of online criticism, jokes and ridicule from protesters in recent weeks. India remains Facebook's biggest market by users.