Guwahati: The Centre has summoned Meta’s global team to explain the temporary restriction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Facebook post, with company representatives expected to meet government officials in India next week, according to sources.
The discussions are expected to focus on Meta’s algorithms, possible algorithmic bias, content moderation practices and the company’s responsibilities in matters related to public order. Sources said officials would seek detailed explanations on how the systems operate and whether they function without bias.
The meeting follows the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) decision earlier this week to summon a senior Meta executive after Facebook briefly restricted a post by Prime Minister Modi that addressed India’s youth and promised strict action against paper leaks.
Although Meta apologised and attributed the incident to a technical glitch, government sources said the explanation was considered inadequate.
Meta subsequently informed the IT Ministry that posts made by the Prime Minister and certain other prominent accounts would undergo enhanced internal review. The company also outlined additional safeguards, including multiple layers of scrutiny involving senior officials before moderation decisions are taken on such accounts.
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police has registered cases against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and certain Facebook and Instagram accounts over allegedly morphed and AI-generated posts targeting Prime Minister Modi.
Sources said legal action would be taken wherever violations of applicable laws and regulations are established.
Government sources also referred to studies suggesting that excessive use of social and digital media may adversely affect the cognitive health and mental well-being of both children and adults.
They said the government is taking these concerns seriously and would consider appropriate measures after examining all relevant aspects.