New Delhi: The Indian government made it clear on Sunday that Meta’s platforms must operate according to Indian laws and cannot be governed only by the company’s global policies. The statement came after a series of discussions between Meta’s technical team and officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) over concerns related to content moderation, deepfake videos, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), fake accounts and algorithm-driven content distribution.
Government sources clarified that the discussions are not aimed at forcing Meta to completely redesign or replace its recommendation algorithms. Officials said reports claiming that the government has directed Meta to completely overhaul its algorithm are factually incorrect. The primary focus of the discussions is to ensure that Meta’s community guidelines, content policies, moderation systems and technology frameworks are aligned with Indian laws, regulatory requirements and the country’s social and cultural environment.
According to government sources, global content policies followed by technology companies cannot supersede Indian legal provisions. Social media platforms operating in India are required to comply with regulations under the Information Technology Act and intermediary guidelines. Officials have raised concerns that content moderation decisions taken by teams located outside India may not always consider the country’s diverse languages, cultural sensitivities and regional contexts.
The government has suggested that Meta strengthen its local expertise by involving more India-based teams and improving understanding of Indian languages. Officials believe better local knowledge can help reduce errors in identifying harmful content and improve the accuracy of moderation systems. The discussions are taking place at a time when social media platforms are increasingly using artificial intelligence and automated systems to monitor millions of posts, videos and images uploaded every day.
During recent meetings, Meta’s technical representatives explained the company’s existing mechanisms for detecting and removing harmful content. However, government officials have indicated that actual implementation, transparency and measurable improvements will be more important than only providing assurances.
The discussions between Meta and MeitY cover several areas, including deepfake detection, synthetic media, misinformation, bot accounts, illegal content monitoring and algorithm transparency. Both sides are continuing technical discussions, and another round of meetings is expected in the coming days.
Deepfake technology and AI-generated synthetic media have emerged as one of the biggest concerns for the government. Officials have questioned how Meta identifies manipulated videos, fake images and digitally altered content and what steps are being taken to stop such material from spreading again after removal. The government has also highlighted the possibility of genuine content from verified or authorised accounts being wrongly classified as deepfakes.
Officials said sensitive cases involving public personalities, news events and important information should not be handled only through automated systems. The Centre has suggested a human-in-the-loop mechanism, under which trained human reviewers examine critical cases before any content removal or restriction decision is taken. Officials believe complete dependence on automated detection tools could lead to incorrect action against legitimate content.
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) has been another major issue discussed between Meta and the government. Officials said there is zero tolerance for illegal child abuse-related content on digital platforms. The government has asked Meta to introduce stronger preventive measures, faster reporting systems and more effective content removal mechanisms.
According to sources, allowing such material to remain available on platforms would be a serious violation of Indian regulations. Authorities have asked Meta to move beyond commitments and demonstrate concrete action through improved detection technology and monitoring systems. The government is also examining whether existing artificial intelligence-based tools used by platforms are capable of identifying such harmful content quickly and accurately.
Meta’s recommendation and virality algorithms have also come under government examination. Officials have questioned why users are frequently shown content that does not match their interests, online activity or preferences.
The government is looking into whether recommendation systems are unintentionally increasing the reach of misleading information, harmful content or AI-generated material. Officials have specifically questioned why synthetic content continues to receive visibility even after being identified as fake or manipulated.
The government’s position is that once content is flagged as illegal, harmful or misleading, it should not continue appearing in recommendations, trending sections or automated suggestions. The Centre is also seeking more clarity on how Meta’s algorithms decide content ranking, reach and engagement levels.
The government is also reviewing Meta’s compliance with intermediary obligations under Indian law, including Section 79 of the IT Act, which provides safe harbour protection to digital platforms under certain conditions.
Under Indian regulations, intermediaries must follow due diligence requirements to maintain legal protection. Authorities are examining whether failures in content moderation, delayed removal of illegal material or algorithmic amplification of harmful content could affect platform accountability. Officials have maintained that the government’s objective is not to restrict technology development but to ensure that large digital platforms remain accountable while operating in India.
The ongoing discussions between Meta and MeitY reflect India’s broader approach towards regulating large digital platforms. The government wants companies to continue innovation but also ensure that their systems respect Indian laws, languages and social realities.
Meta’s technical team has shared details of its existing content monitoring systems and proposed solutions for addressing government concerns. However, officials have indicated that future evaluation will depend on practical improvements and effective implementation.
As digital platforms become increasingly influential in shaping public information, the Indian government has reiterated that technology companies operating in the country must follow local laws and ensure responsible content management.
