India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology is set to scrutinise major social media platforms, including Meta, Google, and X, regarding user privacy, public order, and digital platform regulation.
Key Points
- Parliamentary panel summons major social media platforms for regulation talks.
- Representatives from Meta, Google, X, and Snapchat are called to appear on August 3.
- The meeting, scheduled for August 3, 2026, will focus on protecting user privacy and maintaining public order.
- The discussion follows extensive use of social media for recent student protests, highlighting platform influence.
- Officials from MeitY and Home Affairs will also participate in the briefing on digital platform regulation.
A Parliamentary panel has summoned representatives of major social media platforms, including Instagram, along with officials of the ministries of electronics and information technology (MeitY) and home affairs, on August 3 to discuss regulation of social media and digital platforms.
Addressing User Privacy and Public Order Concerns
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said the panel has called representatives of Meta (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), Google, X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat to explain how they protect the privacy of women, children, farmers, rural residents, labourers and the general public, and ensure public order.
The meeting comes days after social media, particularly Instagram, was extensively used by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to publicise and mobilise participants for its student protest at Jantar Mantar.
The demonstrations, which were held over the NEET-UG paper leak and other issues, drew widespread attention online, with videos, reels and live updates from the protest sites being shared across social media platforms.
Impact of Social Media on Public Mobilisation
The 36-day CJP-led agitation at the Jantar Mantar here ended on Saturday after the government accepted key demands of the protesters and Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister.
According to the notice issued on Tuesday, the agenda includes a "briefing by the representatives of (i) ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY); (ii) ministry of home affairs; and (iii) social and digital media platforms -- Snapchat, Google, X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook and Instagram) on the subject 'Social and digital platforms and their regulation'."
In a post on X, Dubey said, "On 3 August 2026 at 4 pm, our Parliamentary Committee on IT and Communication has summoned Meta (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp), X (Twitter), Snapchat, and Google. How will the privacy of women, children, farmers, rural folks, labourers, and the general public be protected? How do these companies ensure the government's public order?"
