Meta India Head Named In FIR Over Objectionable Posts

Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against operators of several Facebook and Instagram accounts for allegedly posting morphed and objectionable content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meta's India head, Arun Srinivas, has been named in the FIR for allowing objectionable content on the company's platforms.

The complaint was filed by T Saikiran Goud, a social media committee member of BJP Telangana, who alleged that he encountered derogatory posts and reels on July 29 that targeted Prime Minister Modi and could potentially harm national integrity. Goud submitted 20 URLs of the alleged posts and requested the police to identify the individuals operating the accounts, as well as take action against Meta.

The development occurs amid heightened scrutiny of Meta by the Indian government. Earlier this week, the government summoned Meta's President of Global Affairs, Joel Kaplan, following the removal of a post from Prime Minister Modi's account. Meta restored the post, citing an error in its AI-powered moderation system.

Meta has since submitted a written response to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), outlining enhanced safeguards for content posted by the prime minister and other prominent accounts. The company stated that such posts will now undergo additional oversight, requiring approval from at least two senior executives before moderation decisions are taken. Meta has also expressed regret over the incident and outlined corrective measures.