India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked Meta to upgrade its detection and compliance systems following new regulations targeting AI-generated and manipulated media, signalling intensified scrutiny on social media platforms.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked Meta to strengthen its detection systems and submit a detailed compliance plan as New Delhi intensifies pressure on platforms to curb deepfakes, propaganda and other manipulated material, according to government sources. The request followed a meeting on Friday between MeitY officials and Meta’s technical team, during which the company outlined its existing tools for identifying harmful content while officials pressed for clearer technological changes and faster removal processes.
The talks come against a tighter regulatory backdrop. According to amendments to India’s Information Technology Rules notified in February 2026, platforms must remove AI-generated or deepfake content within three hours of a government or court order and must prominently label synthetically created or altered material. Earlier proposed changes also called for visible AI labels, embedded metadata and stronger due diligence around synthetic content, reflecting the government’s push to make manipulated media easier to trace and harder to spread.
Officials also raised data-localisation compliance and wanted closer coordination with government agencies to speed up the identification and takedown of misleading posts, morphed images and synthetic audio or video. The sources said Meta acknowledged weaknesses in its current systems and described technical measures it could take, although no specifics were disclosed and no deadline was set for implementation. A further meeting is expected next week.
The pressure on Meta follows wider unease in India about generative artificial intelligence and its role in producing convincing false material. Reuters reported this week that Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg apologised to Indian officials over deepfake content and other operational lapses, while the company’s global affairs chief separately apologised over the temporary restriction of a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For Meta, the discussions may translate into heavier technical and compliance burdens in one of its largest markets.
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