Facebook blocks, then restores content calling on PM Modi to resign

Facebook Inc. temporarily blocked posts containing hashtags calling on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign, then reinstated them on Wednesday, saying the action had been taken in error.

The #ResignModi hashtag was blocked on Facebook for several hours amid national controversy over India’s response to an escalating Covid-19 crisis and the government’s efforts to curb public dissent.

Facebook declined to say what led to the action, though it has previously apologized for other hashtag removals, which can be performed either by human review teams or the company’s automated enforcement tools.

“We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it,” said Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman.