Meta Enhances Safeguards for Prominent Accounts After Indian Government Summons
Meta has informed Indian authorities of increased oversight and multiple review levels for content posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other prominent accounts. This follows a government summons regarding a temporary restriction on the PM's post.
Social media giant Meta has responded to a summons from India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) by implementing enhanced safeguards for content posted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high-profile accounts. The move comes after the government called in a Meta executive to discuss a temporary restriction placed on the Prime Minister's Facebook post.
According to Meta's written response to MeitY, posts from the Prime Minister and a select group of prominent accounts will now undergo additional scrutiny and multiple levels of review involving senior company officials. Sources indicate that any decision regarding content from these accounts will require approval from at least two senior Meta officials.
The company has also expressed regret over the incident, explained the circumstances that led to it, and outlined the corrective measures implemented. However, India's IT ministry has stated it is not entirely satisfied with Meta's explanation for the temporary removal of the PM's video, which the company acknowledged as a mistake. A formal response from Meta is expected, and a meeting between the company and government officials is likely.
The development occurs amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Meta and its platforms in India. Authorities have previously investigated alleged advertisements on Instagram linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additionally, the ministry is examining WhatsApp's proposed username feature due to concerns about impersonation, fraud, and data sharing across Meta's apps. The government is also reportedly looking to address platform accountability with Meta's international management.