Meta CEO apologises to Indian govt over child sexual material:Tech giant admits spending ‘a lot of money’ to promote certain content, say sources

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has apologised for the presence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), deepfake content and operational lapses on the company’s platforms, according to government sources. The apology came after Meta’s global leadership met Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and senior officials in New Delhi on Wednesday. The meeting follows the Centre’s recent summons to Meta after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was briefly restricted on the platform. Although the company later restored the post and attributed the incident to a technical glitch, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had termed the explanation ‘inadequate’. Govt questions Meta’s legal protection During the meeting, government sources said Meta was informed that it cannot claim protection under the “intermediary” definition of India’s Information Technology Act. According to the sources, since Meta’s algorithms decide which users receive specific content, the platform plays an active role in content distribution.
Therefore, the government believes the safe harbour protection available to intermediaries does not apply in the company’s case.
Meta admits paid promotion of certain content Government sources also claimed that Meta’s representatives acknowledged spending “a lot of money” to boost certain types of content on its platforms. The company expressed regret over the mistake and apologised during the discussions, sources added. CSAM and deepfakes remain key concerns Apart from the removal of the Prime Minister’s Facebook post, the government also raised concerns over Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), AI-generated deepfakes and other forms of synthetic content circulating on Meta’s platforms. Last month, the Centre issued a notice to Meta after reports of CSAM appearing in paid advertisements on Instagram. Officials said they wanted to understand what measures the company has taken to prevent such content and strengthen moderation systems. The government also stressed that verified and high-profile accounts should have stronger safeguards before their content is removed.
Government seeks greater accountability Officials said the discussions were not limited to technical issues but also covered algorithmic bias, platform accountability, public order and national security. The Centre has asked Meta to explain how its recommendation algorithms function and what steps it is taking to ensure compliance with Indian laws. Following the controversy over the Prime Minister’s post, Meta informed the government that content from the Prime Minister and other prominent public figures would undergo additional review, with multiple levels of oversight involving senior company officials before any action is taken. Parliamentary panel seeks apology Separately, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded an apology from Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Modi’s Facebook post. According to PTI, the committee has warned that if an apology is not issued within three days, it may recommend withdrawing legal protections currently available to the Meta CEO under applicable provisions.