Govt-Meta Talks Go Technical as Company Proposes Measures to Tackle Deepfakes, CSAM

NEW DELHI, Aug 7: Discussions between the Centre and Meta entered a technical phase on Friday, with the social media company explaining proposed measures to tackle deepfakes, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), bot accounts and other forms of harmful synthetic content, government sources said.

The development followed two days of detailed meetings in which Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and senior officials questioned Meta’s global team over content moderation, recommendation algorithms and the company’s compliance with Indian laws.

During Friday’s technical discussions, Meta explained how its systems operate and outlined solutions it intends to deploy to address concerns raised by the government. Officials have asked the company to implement specific measures and submit updates on the results, with regular reviews expected to monitor its progress.

A major concern raised by the Centre was the continued circulation and rapid spread of AI-generated harmful material even after such content has been flagged. Officials also questioned why synthetic videos without appropriate labels remain accessible despite provisions under India’s IT rules requiring such content to be identified.

The government has pressed Meta to strengthen human involvement in content moderation while improving its ability to understand Indian languages, cultural references and local contexts.

Another round of discussions is expected next week as the Centre continues to seek sustained improvements from the platform.

Government sources said the talks are aimed at ensuring compliance with Indian laws rather than imposing censorship. Meta has reportedly acknowledged concerns surrounding harmful content and assured officials that it is working on measures to address them.

The company’s global affairs head Joel Kaplan, along with other senior representatives, met Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S Krishnan during the meetings. The discussions followed government summons issued after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was temporarily restricted on the platform.

On Thursday, Meta was questioned about its adherence to Indian regulations, recommendation algorithms and safeguards designed to ensure that its systems comply with legal and constitutional requirements. The company maintained that it was taking the concerns seriously and working to improve safeguards related to deepfakes, CSAM, bots and synthetic media.

The government had also raised concerns over the temporary restriction of Modi’s post and other content moderation failures. Meta apologised for restricting the post and attributed the incident to an error involving its AI-powered automated content filters.

The issue has also drawn scrutiny from a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which sought an apology from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the incident and warned that the company’s legal protections could face questions if its concerns were not addressed.

During the meetings, the Centre also questioned Meta over whether payments were accepted to promote content capable of triggering public disorder. Officials referred to Section 79 of the Information Technology Act while discussing the conditions attached to intermediary safe-harbour protection.

The government had separately issued a notice to Meta last month over alleged child sexual abuse material appearing in paid advertisements on Instagram.

The ongoing discussions are therefore covering a wider range of issues, including AI-generated content, child safety, bot activity, algorithmic bias, safeguards for prominent and verified accounts, paid content promotion and Meta’s overall compliance with Indian regulations.