đź“…July 30, 2026 | By Pulse India News Desk
Meta’s senior global executives met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology following the temporary restriction of a video posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
New Delhi, August 5, 2026: Meta has apologised to the Indian government over content moderation failures involving child sexual abuse material, deepfakes and other operational lapses across its platforms, according to government sources.
The development came after a delegation of senior Meta executives met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, or MeitY, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The meeting followed the government’s summons to the technology company after a video uploaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily restricted on Facebook. Meta subsequently restored the post and said it had been removed because of an operational error.
Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan reportedly met IT Secretary S Krishnan and other senior ministry officials. The discussions lasted approximately 45 minutes and covered the removal of the Prime Minister’s video, harmful online material, deepfakes and weaknesses in Meta’s content moderation systems.
Government Questions Meta’s Platform Practices
During the meeting, government officials reportedly raised concerns over the way content is selected, distributed and promoted on Meta-owned platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the government questioned whether platforms that actively recommend and amplify content should automatically receive legal protection as neutral intermediaries.
Officials are also said to have warned Meta that safe-harbour protection under India’s Information Technology framework cannot be treated as unconditional when a platform’s systems influence which users receive particular content.
No detailed public statement confirming the government’s final legal position on Meta’s intermediary status had been released at the time of publication.
Concerns Over Paid Promotion of Harmful Content
Government sources claimed Meta representatives acknowledged that significant amounts of money had been spent to boost certain categories of content.
The officials were also questioned about allegations that illegal or harmful material had been promoted through the company’s advertising and recommendation systems.
The precise nature of the content, who paid for its promotion and whether Meta knowingly permitted such campaigns have not been independently established.
Meta has previously rejected suggestions that it knowingly targeted users with advertisements connected to child sexual exploitation material. The company has said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards such content and uses automated systems to detect suspicious accounts and harmful activity.
Zuckerberg Apology Reported
Government sources said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised for the presence of child sexual abuse material, deepfake content and operational failures affecting the company’s services.
Reuters also reported that Zuckerberg had apologised to the Indian government over these issues, citing Indian media reports. Meta reportedly reiterated that it was working to improve its content-detection and enforcement systems.
Officials indicated that Meta’s representatives could be called for further discussions as the government continues to examine the company’s response.
PM Modi’s Video Removal Triggered Summons
The controversy began after a vertical video posted by Prime Minister Modi on July 23 was briefly unavailable on Facebook.
The video was released during widespread protests connected to examination paper leaks and featured the Prime Minister addressing young people directly.
Meta restored the video and said the content had been removed in error. However, government officials reportedly considered the explanation insufficient and sought a detailed account of how verified and prominent public-interest content could be incorrectly restricted.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology also sought an apology from Meta over the incident and raised wider concerns about harmful content targeting children and women.
While a parliamentary committee can make recommendations, any regulatory or legal action must be taken by the government or the appropriate statutory authorities.
India Remains Meta’s Biggest User Market
India is Meta’s largest market by number of users, with hundreds of millions of people accessing Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The scale of the company’s Indian user base has increased regulatory scrutiny of how its automated systems moderate, recommend and monetise content.
The latest dispute could intensify discussions over intermediary liability, algorithmic accountability and the responsibility of social-media companies to prevent illegal content from being distributed or financially promoted on their platforms.
