In the latest development, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly apologised to the Indian government over the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), AI generated deepfake content and operational errors on the company’s platforms.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly apologised to the Indian government over the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), AI-generated deepfake content and operational errors on the company’s platforms.
The reported development comes as India increases scrutiny of global technology companies over online safety, content moderation and compliance with the country’s digital regulations.
Zuckerberg Reportedly Apologises for Platform Lapses
According to the sources, Zuckerberg sent his apologies for the presence of C SAM, deepfake content and errors in operating Meta’s platforms. Meta reportedly acknowledged operational shortcomings in handling harmful content and assured the government that it was taking steps to modify its systems.
Meta Executives Meet MeitY Officials
On Tuesday, Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, along with other senior global executives, met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
During the meeting, government officials reportedly raised several concerns about Meta’s functioning in India, particularly how content is distributed and recommended to users.
Government Questions Meta’s Intermediary Status
Based on the government sources, officials made it clear to Meta that the company cannot mbe treated as a passive intermediary because it keenly decides which content is recommended, amplified and shown to users through its algorithms.
Sources further said that because of this role, the safe harbour protection available under the Information Technology (IT) Act may not apply in the same manner as it does to platforms that merely host third-party content.
The issue was discussed as part of the government’s broader concerns over platform accountability and responsibility.
Concerns Over Paid Content Promotion
The government also reportedly questioned Meta’s practice of accepting payments to promote certain content on its platforms.
Officials are said to have raised concerns over whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent harmful or misleading content from being amplified through paid promotion.
PM Modi Video Removal Also Came Up
The meeting also reportedly included discussions on the temporary removal of a video uploaded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official Facebook account.
The incident sparked controversy after users were shown a message indicating the video had been restricted following a legal request. The government later clarified that it had not made any such request.
Meta restored the video and attributed the removal to a technical error.