EC says Meta removed Satheesan interview 'by mistake' after Kerala Police sought deletion of a comment
According to the cyber wing, the request was only to remove objectionable comments.
According to the cyber wing, the request was only to remove objectionable comments.
According to the cyber wing, the request was only to remove objectionable comments.
Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar on Friday said the police had only asked Meta to remove "obnoxious" comments from the comment section of an interview clip of Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, aired on Manorama News, but the owner of Facebook instead took down the entire video.
"The interview comment was not in line with the content, basically was obnoxious, it used foul language. That is why the police asked for its removal," Kelkar told the media.
He clarified that the request was limited to removing specific comments, but Meta "mistakenly" restricted access to the full video on Facebook. He added that the Election Commission is aware of the issue and is following up with the platform.
"Under the IT Act, if there are obscene or abusive comments targeting an individual, the police are required to take action as per the rules," Kelkar said. "The police have already taken up the matter with Meta," he said, adding that he expects the interview to be restored soon on Facebook.
The reel, which features excerpts from a conversation between V D Satheesan and Manorama News Director Johny Lukose, was restricted in India around Wednesday noon.
The Kerala Police's cyber operations wing had issued a notice to Facebook under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, seeking action over content linked to the video. The interview, recorded on Tuesday, was broadcast live on Manorama News and later shared on its social media platforms. It included criticism of the government in the context of the Assembly elections, along with discussions on UDF's guarantees and internal party matters.
While the link to the reel remains accessible on Facebook, the video itself is currently unavailable for viewing in India.
According to the cyber wing, the request was only to remove objectionable comments. Officials said the move was prompted by concerns that heated exchanges in the comment section could potentially escalate into conflict.