Meta must comply with Indian law, not just global policies: Centre tells tech giant

The Centre has told Meta that its platforms must comply with Indian law and cannot be governed solely by the company's global policies, government sources said on Sunday. The statement follows a series of meetings between the social media giant and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Officials clarified that it would be factually incorrect to suggest the government had directed Meta to completely overhaul its algorithm. The focus, they said, is on ensuring that Meta's content policies, platform guidelines and moderation systems are aligned with Indian law. The discussions are aimed at securing concrete changes from the company rather than seeking mere assurances.

One area of concern is the understanding of India's cultural context. Government sources said Meta needs greater local input, including a stronger grasp of Indian languages and cultural nuances, to improve content moderation. India's diversity requires moderation systems that are sensitive to local realities.

The latest meeting on Friday involved Meta's technical team, which explained its existing systems for handling harmful content online. Technical discussions are under way, with another round of meetings expected next week.

On child sexual abuse material (CSAM), the government has taken a strict stance. Sources said there is zero tolerance and zero compromise, and allowing such material to remain on Meta's platforms would be a serious violation of rules. The company has been asked to adopt stronger and more proactive measures, with concrete action expected instead of assurances.

Deepfakes involving prominent personalities have also come under scrutiny. The government said content posted from authorised or verified handles should not be incorrectly identified as deepfakes. Officials called for a "human-in-the-loop" mechanism to ensure content is reviewed properly before any takedown, rather than relying solely on automated detection systems.

Another concern is synthetic content that reappears after being identified and removed as a deepfake. The government has sought details from Meta on the concrete steps it is taking to prevent such content from resurfacing after removal.

Meta's recommendation and virality algorithms have also been questioned. Sources said the government queried why users are frequently shown content unrelated to their stated interests, and whether this points to shortcomings in the recommendation systems. Officials also asked why synthetic content continues to be amplified through the algorithms, insisting that once flagged, such content should not be recommended further.

The issue of recommendation systems had earlier been raised in meetings with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and senior ministry officials. The latest discussions follow several rounds of engagement between Meta and the Indian government covering deepfakes, CSAM, bot accounts, synthetic content and legal compliance.

Government sources indicated that the objective is not merely to get Meta to acknowledge concerns, but to ensure clear outcomes. The company is expected to provide specific details on how it will address the issues raised, particularly in aligning its global practices with Indian legal requirements.