New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has tightened its grip on Meta. The ministry has asked the company to revise its platform’s algorithms and submit a comprehensive roadmap to combat deepfakes, propaganda, and other illegal content.
What did the government ask from Meta?
MeitY held a crucial meeting with Meta on Friday, where officials clearly stated that concrete steps must be taken to curb the proliferation of AI-generated and morphed content on social media.
The government has asked Meta for three main things:
- Strengthen content moderation – Speed up the process of identifying and removing harmful posts.
- Immediate compliance with takedown orders from government agencies – Immediate action should be taken on law and order related requests.
- Data Localization – Ensure compliance with rules regarding keeping Indian users’ data within the country.
Officials specifically asked that Meta make changes to its algorithms that would automatically reduce the spread of deepfakes and misinformation posts.
Meta admits flaws, meeting again next week
At the meeting, Meta’s technical team explained how it currently detects and removes harmful content online. The company also acknowledged some shortcomings in its system and described new technical measures it is working on to combat synthetic content. According to government sources, both sides have agreed to continue discussions. Another meeting will be held next week, where Meta is expected to present its detailed plan.
Why has the strictness increased?
This directive comes as India tightens regulations on artificial intelligence-generated content. Under MeitY’s new framework, major social media platforms will be required to ensure that any synthetic information is labeled and require users to provide a declaration confirming whether the content is AI-generated.
Over the past few weeks, the government has questioned Meta about the workings of its algorithms, their biases, and their role in maintaining law and order. The government has made it clear that platforms must identify harmful content preemptively, not after complaints are received.
Deepfake videos and morphed images are damaging the image of elections, public figures, and ordinary people. In light of this, the central government is now exerting pressure on social media companies.