Meta’s engagement with the Indian government entered its second consecutive day on Thursday, as senior company executives and technical teams continued discussions with officials over compliance with Indian regulations, platform safety and content moderation practices. The meetings follow the company’s public apology for the temporary removal of a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook earlier this week.
According to sources cited by PTI, Meta’s global delegation is expected to remain in India for another three to four days as talks with government representatives continue. The discussions are expected to extend beyond Facebook and Instagram to include issues related to WhatsApp and the company’s broader compliance framework in India.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
During Thursday’s meeting with officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Meta reportedly acknowledged that it faces “serious issues” relating to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfake content and automated bot activity on its platforms. Company representatives assured the government that they are actively working to strengthen systems designed to detect and curb such harmful content.
Government officials are seeking greater transparency into Meta’s internal operations, including how its recommendation algorithms function, how content moderation decisions are made and what safeguards are in place to ensure compliance with Indian law. Officials have also requested information on the company’s checks and balances, enforcement mechanisms and the technologies used to identify and remove illegal or harmful material.
The Centre has repeatedly stressed that large digital platforms must operate responsibly and comply with domestic regulations while balancing user rights and public safety. Officials have maintained that social media companies, like other institutions operating in India, have legal and social responsibilities that cannot be overlooked.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is also scheduled to meet members of Meta’s global team as part of the ongoing engagement. In addition to policy-level discussions, technical teams from both sides are expected to examine platform logs and other technical details to better understand the systems involved in content moderation and enforcement.
Sources indicated that while Meta has already issued a public statement regarding the removal of the Prime Minister’s video, the current round of meetings is focused on technical aspects, including platform processes, system logs and compliance measures.
The discussions are part of the government’s broader engagement with major technology companies. Officials said the Centre remains in regular contact with other global platforms, including X and Telegram, on issues related to online safety, regulatory compliance and harmful content.
The latest meetings come a day after Meta apologised for the brief removal of Prime Minister Modi’s video from Facebook. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, conveyed the company’s apology to the Indian government, acknowledging the incident and reaffirming Meta’s commitment to improving its moderation processes.
With discussions set to continue over the coming days, the government is expected to further examine Meta’s safety systems, transparency measures and compliance practices as India intensifies its scrutiny of digital platforms operating in the country.
