The Centre will hold talks with Meta’s global team on August 5 and 6 over a series of concerns, including the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook reel, action against child sexual abuse content, and safeguards for verified accounts.
The Central government will raise several concerns with Meta’s global team during its visit to India on August 5 and 6, including the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook reel, the company’s handling of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSAM), and the lack of safeguards for verified accounts.
IT Secretary S Krishnan said the government wants an explanation for why such issues continue to occur despite Meta being one of the world’s leading technology companies.
“We would like to understand from them as to why some of these things have not been working the way they are supposed to work, and what are the challenges,” Krishnan told reporters on the sidelines of an event at IIT Madras on Tuesday.
Centre to Raise Multiple Issues
Krishnan said the meeting will not be limited to the PM Modi reel controversy. The government will also seek updates on the steps Meta has taken to curb CSAM after it was earlier issued a notice over paid Instagram advertisements carrying such content.
Another issue likely to be discussed is the spread of AI-generated or synthetically generated content and the safeguards in place before content posted by verified and prominent individuals is taken down.
“There are a range of issues. The CSAM issue was raised, so what measures have been taken regarding that, and synthetically generated information… to what extent that is being looked at. Then, of course, for prominent personalities, when they have verified accounts, if content has to be taken down, there have to be safeguards,” Krishnan said.
He added that companies with advanced technology should have systems capable of preventing such lapses.
Why Is Meta Under Fire?
The fresh scrutiny comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook reel, in which he addressed India’s youth and promised strict action against paper leaks, was briefly restricted on the platform.
The incident sparked criticism from the government and BJP leaders, who questioned how content from the Prime Minister’s verified account could be removed, even temporarily.
The government has also been examining Meta’s handling of CSAM after paid advertisements carrying such material were found on Instagram. The company had earlier received a notice over the issue.
BJP Seeks Zuckerberg’s Apology
The controversy intensified on Monday when Nishikant Dubey, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, demanded a personal apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Dubey warned that if an apology was not issued, Parliament could consider withdrawing the “safe harbour” protection available to Meta under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
“Meta’s mindset is to destabilise the country. PM Modi’s video was taken down from 12.30 am to 5 am. This is a very serious issue. Our committee has said two things – the apology must come from Mark Zuckerberg or else we will take back the safe harbour given to Meta under Section 79,” he said.
Meta Blames Algorithmic Error
According to an MP, a Meta executive apologised for the temporary removal of the Prime Minister’s reel and attributed the incident to an algorithmic error.
The executive reportedly assured lawmakers that the company would make changes to its algorithms to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated.
Meta has not yet issued an official public response to media queries on the matter.