Meta India head faces FIR over AI-generated videos of PM Modi: Full story in 5 points
Meta’s India head Arun Srinivas and multiple social media users face an FIR over AI-generated videos of PM Narendra Modi on Facebook and Instagram. The
Meta’s India head Arun Srinivas and multiple social media users face an FIR over AI-generated videos of PM Narendra Modi on Facebook and Instagram. The FIR was registered by the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police. Sources told India Today that investigators are looking into the origin of these AI-generated videos of PM Modi, and whether they may have misled the public. Meta’s safeguards are also being examined, to understand whether the platform was able to curb the circulation of these clips. Read Full Story The case comes at a time when Meta is also facing questions from the Centre over a separate incident in which one of the Prime Minister’s Facebook posts was briefly restricted before being restored. 1. Who is Meta’s India head? Arun Srinivas is Meta’s India head. He was appointed as the head of the Indian market last year. Arun is responsible for overseeing Meta’s strategy and operations in the country. He joined Meta in September 2020, initially leading the Global Business Group for India, overseeing revenue from large and agencies across sectors. In September 2022, he was elevated to Director and Head of the Business in India, where he led the revenue function across of all sizes and oversaw sales, solutions, measurement and creative functions.
Before Meta, he worked at Ola, Reebok, and Hindustan Unilever. Srinivas holds a PGDM in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, and an undergraduate degree in Physics from the University of Madras. 2. Why has a case been filed? Police sources told India Today that the FIR relates to the spread of AI-generated morphed videos of the Prime Minister on Facebook and The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police are investigating where the videos originated, and how they were amplified across social media. The role of Meta’s safeguards to adequately stop the circulation of these videos is also being examined. The probe will also look at the role of those accused of creating, uploading or sharing the manipulated content. The investigation remains at a preliminary stage, and no conclusions have been reached so far. Investigators are examining possible violations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. 3. Has Meta responded? Meta has not made any comments on the FIR at the time of writing. A Meta representative is said to have appeared before investigators and briefed them on the company’s content moderation and compliance measures.
As per sources, the FIR was registered days after the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police summoned Meta representatives to explain the company’s systems for detecting and removing AI-generated scams, fake and other manipulated content. 4. Why are Meta leaders being summoned? This FIR is separate from the recent government summons issued to Meta executives. The Centre has summoned top global Meta executives after a Facebook post by PM Modi was briefly restricted by the platform. The post, first uploaded on Instagram on July 23 and shared on Facebook, featured Modi’s first direct selfie video addressed to India’s Gen Z amid the CJP protests. While Meta says that the removal happened due to a technical glitch in its AI-driven moderation systems, the government has said the explanation is not adequate. IT Secretary S Krishnan said, “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.” 5. The broader context around social media The developments come amid growing regulatory scrutiny of Meta and other large digital platforms in India.
The BriefWire