India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked Meta to overhaul its algorithmic systems to strengthen measures against deepfakes, manipulated content and deliberate disinformation, according to a report by ANI citing government sources.
The Centre has reportedly sought a detailed roadmap from the technology company outlining the steps it plans to take to identify, restrict and address harmful or misleading content circulating on its platforms.
The latest development comes amid growing tensions between the government and Meta following the temporary removal of a social media post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The incident triggered concerns within the government, after which Meta officials were summoned for discussions. The company subsequently apologised to the Centre over the temporary removal.
Meta representatives held meetings with government officials for three consecutive days this week, during which several technological and regulatory issues were reportedly discussed. According to ANI, the demand for an overhaul of Meta’s algorithmic framework was raised during these meetings.
The government is also examining whether Meta is fully complying with India’s information technology regulations. PTI reported that the issue was discussed during Thursday’s meeting. Meta assured officials that it remains committed to tackling deepfakes, automated bot activity and objectionable content.
The Centre also expressed concern over the promotion or boosting of certain one-sided or misleading content through financial arrangements. Officials reportedly stressed the need for stronger safeguards to prevent such material from gaining disproportionate visibility.
Meta, according to sources, acknowledged shortcomings in handling some of these issues and expressed regret to the government. The proposed roadmap is expected to outline how the company intends to improve algorithmic accountability and content moderation.
