Meta writes to Centre, vows enhanced checks for PM Modi's posts, other prominent accounts
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post was briefly taken down, Meta has assured the Centre that content shared by the Prime Minister and
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post was briefly taken down, Meta has assured the Centre that content shared by the Prime Minister and other high-profile accounts will be subject to additional oversight on its platforms, according to sources quoted by PTI. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company has written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), detailing the enhanced safeguards it has introduced to prevent similar incidents involving posts from the Prime Minister and other prominent public figures. PTI, citing sources, said Meta told the ministry that such content will now undergo extra scrutiny, with multiple layers of review involving senior company officials before any moderation-related action is taken. Also Read | Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg slams AI rivals over tightly controlled development Sources also said that a delegation from Meta is expected to meet government officials later this week or early next week to discuss the issue surrounding the Prime Minister's Facebook post. PM Modi's Facebook post briefly restricted The controversy began after Facebook briefly restricted a post by Prime Minister Modi in which he addressed India's youth and pledged strict action against paper leaks.
The post, originally uploaded on Instagram on July 23 and later shared on Facebook, featured the Prime Minister's first direct selfie video aimed at connecting with young people while reaffirming the government's commitment to tackling paper leaks amid nationwide student protests. Also Read | Meta layoffs: US judge rejects bid to halt AI discrimination job cuts Following the incident, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta's global head of public policy to seek an explanation. Government seeks more details despite Meta's apology Meta later attributed the removal of the post to a technical glitch and issued an apology. However, the Centre said the company's explanation failed to adequately address its concerns. IT Secretary S Krishnan said on Tuesday that although Meta had admitted its mistake and apologised, the government was dissatisfied with the explanation provided and had sought further clarification. “It is good that they have apologised and admitted what they did was a mistake. But we are not happy with the explanation…it is not adequate, and we are seeking more details," Krishnan had said.
Also Read | Meta to alert parents if teens show signs of distress while chatting with its AI Meta faces regulatory scrutiny Over the last few weeks, Meta has faced regulatory scrutiny on a number of issues. The IT ministry issued a notice to WhatsApp earlier, questioning the Meta-owned platform's proposed username feature, as the government flagged concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks. The Centre had also directed WhatsApp not to launch the feature until consultations on the issue are completed "to the satisfaction of the government". WhatsApp had subsequently assured the government that it would not roll it out in India until discussions are complete. The government also slapped a stern notice on Meta over Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid on Instagram. MeitY ordered Instagram to disable all and content that promote or facilitate access to CSEAM, and demanded a detailed explanation with a deadline. Within a few days of that notice, Meta outlined its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across its apps, highlighting AI-powered detection and large-scale enforcement actions, and, in a blog post, promised to continue investment in technology and resources to keep young people safe and strengthen its ad review processes.
The BriefWire