The Indian government has urged Meta to enhance its systems for identifying manipulated content and enforce stricter moderation standards, as they pursue tighter legal and technical controls over AI-generated material and harmful posts on social media platforms.
India’s central government has told Meta in recent meetings that it cannot treat itself as a neutral conduit when its systems help decide what users see and which posts gain wider reach. Officials argued that recommendation tools and paid promotion can make a platform more than a passive intermediary, especially when harmful material is being pushed to large audiences.
According to people familiar with the discussions, the authorities pressed Meta on moderation standards, algorithm design, deepfakes, artificial intelligence-generated material and unlawful content. The government’s view is that social media companies must maintain effective monitoring systems and act quickly against illegal posts rather than relying mainly on automated filtering.
The talks also centred on Section 79 of India’s Information Technology Act, which gives intermediaries conditional protection from liability for third-party content. Legal analyses of the provision say that this safe harbour applies only when platforms follow due-diligence obligations under the Information Technology Rules, 2021 and respond appropriately to notices from competent authorities. Government officials signalled that failure to comply could weaken that protection and expose companies to proceedings under information technology law and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, depending on the facts of each case.
Deepfakes and manipulated AI content were a major focus. Indian officials asked Meta to change its systems so that synthetic or altered material can be identified and controlled more effectively, especially when it is not clearly labelled. The company was also asked to produce a roadmap setting out the technical and administrative steps it plans to take. Related reporting on India’s revised IT rules says the government has already moved towards stricter labelling requirements for AI-generated content and shorter takedown timelines, including rapid action windows for certain violations.
Officials also pushed Meta to increase human review rather than depending too heavily on automation. They said material in Indian languages and local contexts is often missed by generic systems, making native-language expertise important for moderation decisions. The discussions covered child sexual abuse material, data localisation and faster responses to requests from authorised agencies. Meta outlined its current technology and proposed countermeasures, and both sides agreed to keep talking. Another meeting could follow next week, while the government is also expected to review the policies of other major platforms and may seek further legal advice on the scope of intermediary protection.
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